ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Quality

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring arrangements are in place for air pollution across the United Kingdom; and how this information is publicised.

Alun Michael: On behalf of the United Kingdom Government and the devolved Administrations DEFRA monitors air pollution in the United Kingdom through a national network of air quality monitoring sites, the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and numerical modelling techniques.
	There are three national automatic air quality monitoring networks: (a) the automatic urban network consisting of 96 sites, (b) the automatic rural network consisting of 22 sites and (c) the hydrocarbon network consisting of four sites. There are also seven national non-automatic networks that measure a wide range of pollutants. DEFRA operates two of these networks in co-operation with local authorities.
	Current and historic monitoring information, including hourly updates of air quality from the automatic networks, is published on the UK Government's and the devolved Administrations' air quality website (www.airquality.co.uk). This site also provides detailed information about DEFRA's and the devolved Administrations' air pollution monitoring arrangements. Air quality information is also provided through a freephone service (0800 556677) and on Teletext, page 155.
	In addition to the national monitoring networks described above, there are also a large number of monitoring sites operated by local authorities. Local authorities generally publicise this information in the air quality review and assessment reports, which they prepare under part IV of the Environment Act 1995.

Air Quality

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which local authorities since 1997 her Department and its predecessors have issued directions requiring air quality monitoring to be undertaken.

Alun Michael: The Secretary of State has not issued any directions under part IV of the Environment Act 1995 to local authorities requiring air quality monitoring to be undertaken.
	The Department offers advice on air quality monitoring to local authorities via centrally funded helpdesks and our statutory local air quality management guidance.

Air Quality

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the individual measures against which air quality is assessed in the United Kingdom what the level of each was in (a) each city of greater than 100,000 population and (b) each local authority area in each of the last 30 years in which these have been recorded.

Alun Michael: Air quality in the United Kingdom is assessed against targets for safeguarding people's health and protecting the environment from air pollution. These targets were published in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, first published in 1997 and revised in January 2000. The strategy includes health-based standards for benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon monoxide lead particles, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and low-level ozone. It also includes policy objectives for each pollutant to be achieved between 2003 and 2008. On 5 August 2002 the United Kingdom Government announced tighter objectives in England for particles, benzene and carbon monoxide and introduced a new objective for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
	The United Kingdom Government and the devolved Administrations monitor levels of the pollutants in the United Kingdom through a national network of air quality monitoring sites, the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and numerical modelling techniques. Details the air quality targets and all air quality monitoring data—including cities and local authorities—are published on the United Kingdom Government's and devolved Administrations air quality website www.airquality.co.uk

Beaches

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the (a) bathing and (b) non-bathing beaches in the United Kingdom which are (i) measured and (ii) not measured for (A) beach and (B) water quality standards, indicating in each case for which measurements are taken whether they pass these standards; what plans there are to strengthen the monitoring and standards of these beaches; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Department's publication XBathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC) Detailed Summary of 2001 Survey Results—United Kingdom" is available in the Library and lists all identified bathing waters and the results of micro-biological and physico-chemical sample testing. The report for the 2002 bathing season will be published early in the new year. General beach quality characteristics are taken into account in the Seaside Awards and Blue Flag schemes administered by ENCAMS (Environmental Campaigns). Lists of beaches are published on their internet site (www.seasideawards.org.uk and www.blueflag.org.uk). The EC Commission has recently published a new draft bathing water directive, which proposes tighter microbiological water quality standards. The proposal will be subject to detailed negotiation among member states and in the European Parliament. Specific questions relating to bathing waters in Scotland and Wales should be directed to the devolved Administrations.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of how many small businesses will be affected by proposals contained in her Department's review of bird registration; and how many such businesses depend upon trade in species listed in Schedule 4 of the Act.

Elliot Morley: Many users of the current registration system fit the definition of a Xsmall business". Business users range from people who trade in significant numbers of Schedule 4 birds annually to those breeding just one or two birds. In the consultation process, we have endeavoured to contact as many such users as possible in order to ensure that their views are properly reflected in the review process.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason no changes were made to the bird registration scheme following the consultation on Review of Bird Registration and CITES Licensing Fees undertaken in July 1999.

Elliot Morley: No changes were made to the bird registration scheme because the 1999 consultation related solely to the question of what fees should be payable for registering a bird and obtaining any relevant CITES permits.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the costs of implementing her Department's bird registration scheme were in (a) 1991, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001; and what she estimates they will be this year.

Elliot Morley: The costs for the scheme in the financial year April 1991 to March 1992 were #309,769. Costs in the financial year April 2000 to March 2001 were #355,822 and April 2001 to March 2002 were #441,557. The forecast for April 2002 to March 2003 is #456,712.
	The apparent large increase in costs between 2000–01 and 2001–02 is mainly due to an improved approach to cost attribution but also reflects a significant increase in enforcement effort.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) birdkeepers, (b) zoological gardens/bird parks, (c) birdkeeping magazines, (d) falconry centres, (e) police wildlife liaison officers, (f) ornithologists and birdwatchers, (g) conservation organisations, (h) bird watching magazines and (i) raptor groups have been consulted by her Department during its review of bird registration; and what criteria her Department used to determine the list of those consulted on the review.

Elliot Morley: The Department set out to consult as many interested parties as possible in conducting the bird registration review. We have therefore consulted all people who currently keep Schedule 4 birds. This includes zoos and bird parks, falconry centres and members of raptor groups. In addition, consultation took place through a number of umbrella organisations such as the RSPB, the RSPCA, the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Bird Council, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Hawkboard and the Countryside Alliance. We also issued consultation documents to conservation organisations and publishers of bird magazines and relied on them to cascade information to their members and readers. All Police Wildlife Liaison Officers in England and Wales were consulted. In all over 2,000 individuals and organisations were consulted through these mechanisms. Consultation documents were also available via the Department's website.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department took in framing the bird registration scheme to the effect on conservation of wild birds.

Elliot Morley: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 introduced the registration and ringing of certain species of birds when kept in captivity. The objective of section 7 of the Act was to support the conservation of our native wild birds by requiring those holding them to register them with the Department, and to fit them with a ring approved by the Secretary of State. The deterrent effect of this legislation has reduced the illegal taking of birds from the wild.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings she had with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee during the preparation of her Department's review of bird registration.

Elliot Morley: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee were involved in three meetings with my Department during the preparation of this review. The first meeting also involved representatives from raptor groups, the devolved assemblies and conservation bodies. Subsequent meetings involved officials from my Department and JNCC in discussions about a range of possible options for inclusion in the review.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration her Department gave to the views of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee during the peparation of its review of bird registration.

Elliot Morley: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee are the main adviser to the Department on all scientific questions arising on bird registration issues. They were therefore consulted fully prior to the issue of the public consultation document, and were involved in a number of the preparatory discussions.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effects of removing bird species from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on the ability to secure convictions for possession of these birds.

Elliot Morley: The recent consultation process sought views on four possible options for the future of the bird registration scheme. We consulted as widely as possible, and consultees included the enforcement authorities, whose views we greatly value. We shall decide what specific proposals to develop in the light of the responses to the consultation. The possible impact on the ability to secure convictions under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 will be one of the factors we take into account in doing so.

Bird Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of how removing bird species from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 will affect the number of these birds taken illegally from the wild.

Elliot Morley: When the current consultation is concluded, the Department will refer to our scientific advisers, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, for assistance in determining whether species should remain on Schedule 4. One of the criteria in determining whether a species should remain will be its vulnerability to illegal taking.
	The evidence from the 1994 review showed that the removal of kestrels, sparrow hawks and common buzzards from Schedule 4 had no detrimental effect on wild population levels.

Cattle Movements

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many representations from (a) Lancashire and (b) the north-west of England she has received regarding the loss of cattle-passport slips by the Cattle Movement Service.

Alun Michael: The British Cattle Movement Service has received around 22,000 representations about movement notification failures since May this year from around England, Scotland and Wales. It would be wrong to assume that these involve the loss of cattle movement notification cards by the Department since I am informed that these are recorded on computer on arrival and in many cases where an issue arises a check shows that no notification has been received by the British Cattle Movement Service. It follows that breaking down figures on representations on to a county by county or region by region basis would only be available at disproportionate costs.

Cattle Movements

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what actions she has taken regarding the loss of cattle-passport slips by the Cattle Movement Service; and if she will make a statement on the loss of the slips.

Alun Michael: The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) operates to ISO 9001:2000 standards, is registered with the British Standards Institute and its operating practices have received the Kite mark. All documents received by the organisation are scanned and recorded on arrival and great care is taken to avoid any loss.
	Some cattle keepers have claimed to have told the BCMS about cattle movements when their computerised records have been cross-checked and deficiencies found as part of the subsidy claims checking process. I understand that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and the BCMS check these cases very carefully. It is wrong to assume that the BCMS has lost keepers' movement notifications when they have no trace of the document ever arriving at the BCMS site. If keepers want to guarantee that their notifications are received by BCMS they can send them by registered post or by e-mail to the BCMS website at www.bcms.gov.uk.

Cattle Movements

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of differences between (a) the data held on the British Cattle Movement Service Online Tracing System, (b) the data held by the British Cattle Movement Service and (c) the records of cattle keepers themselves; what plans she has to rectify these differences; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: I am assured that there is no difference between the information held on the cattle tracing scheme website (CTS Online) and that held on the main database held by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS). The online database is a copy of the main database.
	The differences that exist between the Government's central database and on-farm records represent those births, deaths and movements that the keeper has taken steps to record on one but not on the other. Our programme of on-the-spot farm inspections bring these differences to light and we work with keepers to sort their records out. Where serious discrepancies are found, individual animals or, in the worst case, the whole herd of cattle will have a movement restriction placed upon them until the problems are rectified.

Cattle Movements

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the relationship between the Rural Payments Agency and the British Cattle Movement Service; what plans she has to help improve this relationship; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) are both constituent parts of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Both are committed to providing consistently high quality services that are valued by their customers. With the legislative requirement to cross-check common agricultural policy bovine subsidy claims against the cattle tracing system, it is essential that they work together to achieve these objectives.
	A formal Service Level Agreement exists between the agency and the service and this is constantly reviewed. I understand that they have had a good working relationship in the past and they have liased extremely closely over recent months to ensure that the queries discovered during the cross-check exercise were resolved without referral to the industry where possible. Rural Payments Agency staff working at, and in conjunction with, the British Cattle Movement Service, examined over 150,000 cross-check queries during recent months.

Digital Mapping

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help will be given to farmers to accommodate to the change over to digital mapping with special reference to the accuracy of mapping.

Alun Michael: To help farmers accommodate the change to digital mapping, each is being sent a copy of the relevant maps showing details of the fields after initial digitisation. The field information being noted by RPA's contractors is taken from the Area Aid Application submitted by the farmer concerned and is digitised using the latest digitised maps provided by the Ordnance Survey. To assist this process, RPA has also obtained up-to-date high quality aerial photographs of England.
	In addition each farmer is sent an explanatory leaflet describing the process and explaining what is required. The maps and attached field data highlights queries which farmers are asked to help to resolve.
	Once the queries have been resolved, maps will be edited and a final copy will be sent to farmers to retain.
	The digitised maps are of a high standard of accuracy and the details are set out on the OS Website, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk .

Fisheries Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 27 to 29 November; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary and I represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 27 to 28 November 2002. Ministers responsible for fisheries and farming issues in Scotland and Wales also attended and, together with the Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, joined me at a short bilateral meeting with Commissioner Fischler on Friday morning at which we discussed the Mid-Term Review of the CAP.
	On fisheries, the main items discussed by the Council were reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and cod and hake recovery. The Presidency noted the positions of the member states on CFP reform and will now reflect on how to promote agreement at the December Council.
	On cod and hake recovery, the Commissioner outlined his revised strategy for securing cod recovery in the light of the recent scientific assessments. He envisages an 80 per cent. reduction in fishing effort for whitefish fishing, 40 per cent. for flatfish, 10 per cent. for industrial fishing and 5 per cent. for nephrops. The UK emphasised its commitment to securing stock recovery. On the other hand we emphasised our commitment to finding a package of measures which would enable sustainable fishing activity to continue while still achieving recovery. We stressed in particular the importance of the burdens resulting from recovery action falling equitably on all fleets whose activities impact on cod stocks. There will be further technical discussion at official level before the December Council.
	The Commissioner also made a first presentation of his proposed action plans on the social, economic and regional implications of EU fleet restructuring and on how to reduce discards of unwanted fish. These will return to the Council for further consideration after study by officials.
	The Council reached political agreement, by qualified majority, on rules for the authorisation and labelling of genetically modified (GM) food and feed. This was a difficult discussion. I eventually voted against the final compromise because it contained provisions regarding the adventitious presence and labelling of GM organisms that are neither practicable nor enforceable. I also had concerns about the legal base on which the proposal rested.
	There was a brief discussion of the measures forming part of a package addressing hygiene rules and their enforcement in respect of food of animal origin. Further work is planned at official level before the December Council.
	The Commission gave its regular report on BSE in the EU and reported contacts with the French Government over its plans in respect of Specified Risk Material (SRM) controls on sheep spinal cord. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary restated our concerns about the proposed French measures and strongly underlined our view that member states should not take unilateral action that goes beyond existing EU legal provisions and scientific advice.
	The Council continued its consideration of the Mid-Term Review of the CAP with a discussion concentrating on modulation, decoupling and cross-compliance. I welcomed the broad thrust of the Commission's proposals while noting that the EU needed to start work quickly on the detailed legislative texts which the Commission had promised for January. I recalled our opposition to certain features of the Commission's modulation model, including its unfair redistribution of modulated funds. I gave strong support to the principle of decoupling aid from production which would encourage farmers to focus more on markets and at the same time strengthen the EU's hand in the WTO negotiations.
	Under other business, there was discussion of animal welfare in third countries and the situation in Spain following the sinking of the oil tanker 'Prestige'. The Council also approved a state aid to Greek cotton producers.

Litter

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what costings have been done to assess whether a similar campaign to the Keep Britain Tidy campaign would be (a) timely and (b) prudent.

Alun Michael: ENCAMS will play an important role in supporting the Government's agenda of improving the local environment and people's quality of life by running high-profile campaigns each year based around Local Environmental Quality and Litter issues.
	Campaigns planned for 2003 include a focus on fly-tipping, car litter, fly-posting and youth litter and these initiatives are in effect a continuation of the Keep Britain Tidy Campaign year on year.
	I met the director of ENCAMS, Alan Woods (Environmental Campaigns which is the current name of the Tidy Britain Group) today to discuss the organisation's work which is focused on making a real difference at a local level, which is where we need to influence public attitudes and behaviour.
	In parallel to the Government's policy to make a significant impact on the antisocial behaviour, litter, graffiti and noise which spoils the quality of lives in so many places, ENCAMS has developed tools which help their local authority partners to target real local problems. These include a set of posters to challenge people who allow their dogs to foul local parks. Evaluation has shown that a significant improvement has been achieved in areas where these have been used as part of a local campaign. We are encouraging ENCAMS to spread information about successful local campaigns so that lessons learned can help to improve the quality of life for people in other areas too. This fits with efforts by Ministers in DEFRA, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Office to give a high profile to tackling quality of life issues nationally while promoting action at the local level in conjunction with the Local Government Associate and other partners.
	Joanne Whitaker, ENCAMS5 Director for the North West Region, would be more than happy to meet the hon.Member to talk about the future of local litter campaigns and programmes. More details of ENCAMS campaigns as well as promotional material can be obtained via their website: http://www.encams.org.

Litter

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about the environmental impact of increased littering and tipping of household waste in (a) urban and (b) rural areas.

Alun Michael: The Department receives representations on litter and fly tipping from different sectors of society. During the period 1 January 2001 to 1 January 2002, we received 430 representations on litter. During the period January 2001 to the present, we received 180 representations on fly tipping. We do not differentiate between urban and rural representations in correspondence.

Litter

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Keep Britain Tidy campaign cost after 1972; and what assessments were made of its impact on reducing litter.

Alun Michael: Since 1972 the programmes and initiatives run as part of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign have cost #37,341,498.
	There are regular reviews of the performance of all programmes and campaigns run by the Tidy Britain Group (TBG), now part of an umbrella organisation called Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS). Under terms set out in the Grant Memorandum they submit a yearly Grant Review document, which examines in detail the effectiveness of every campaign and programme run over the previous year. Also a Financial Management and Policy Review of ENCAMS is carried out, usually at five year intervals, as part of the Government's requirement that all non-departmental public bodies and those like them should be subjected to regular and detailed scrutiny. The last review of ENCAMS took place in 2001.

Waste

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the maximum potential for anaerobic digestion systems to remove waste from the waste stream; and what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of such systems.

Michael Meacher: When reviewing the waste strategy the Strategy Unit commissioned a study of new and emerging technologies, which includes anaerobic digestion. This contains details on the environmental impacts of the processes under study. Anaerobic digestion can potentially treat a wide range of biodegradable wastes. However in practical terms its application will depend on its cost and performance compared with the other available treatment options. The report is entitled XDelivering the Landfill Directive: The role of new and emerging technologies" and is available as an annexe to the full report XWaste not, Want not" on the Strategy Unit website: www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/innovation/index.htm .

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan (Drugs)

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the effect of bombing in Afghanistan on the (a) production of and (b) trade in drugs.

Mike O'Brien: The disruption of drug production and trafficking was not among the aims of the military campaign waged in Afghanistan. Any damage to the drugs trade as a result of bombing would be incidental to the principal aims of the campaign and would not be covered in any battle assessments. It is not possible to calculate from other sources the damage caused to the drugs trade in Afghanistan as a result of bombing.

Compulsory Purchase (Spain)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Government of Spain in relation to compulsory purchase of property belonging to British citizens in the regions of Valencia.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 3 December 2002
	No representations have been made to the Spanish central Government; however, our ambassador in Madrid brought these problems to the attention of the head of the Valencian regional government in a letter dated 22 October which refers to a number of individual cases. The ambassador has met and discussed the matter with British nationals, including at a public meeting. British nationals are being advised to engage the services of local lawyers, who are best placed to assist them.

Entry Clearance Independent Monitor

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Independent Monitor.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not met Mr. Rabinder Singh, in his official capacity of Independent Monitor for non-Appealable Entry Clearance Refusals. Mr. Singh has met my three predecessors as Ministers responsible for entry clearance matters; in October 2000 the then Minister for Europe, my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz), in December 2001 the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) and in October 2002 with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien).

EU Enlargement (Agricultural Production Quotas)

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the Danish Presidency's latest offer on agricultural production quotas to the candidate countries due to join the EU in 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Danish Presidency has proposed small quota increases for candidates on a number of agricultural commodities. The Government will consider these provided they are justified on the basis of historical data and objective methodology and fall within the agreed financial ceilings.

Gibraltar

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit Gibraltar.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans to do so.

Pakistan (Minority Groups)

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan concerning the plight of minority groups, with specific reference to Christians in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Mark Todd) on 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 527W.

Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what public appointments he has made in November 2002.

Mike O'Brien: None.

Visa Centres (Indian Sub-Continent)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to open additional visa centres in the Indian sub-continent.

Bill Rammell: We plan to open visa application offices in Jalandhar and Ahmedabad early in 2003. We also hope to open a number of similar offices across the country so that UK visa services are more accessible to our Indian customers. We do not currently have any plans to open similar offices in other South Asian countries.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Fire Service

Geraint Davies: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the objectives of the Government's plans for modernisation of working practices in the Fire Service, with special reference to the impact of his plans on public safety.

Nick Raynsford: The Government believe that the Fire Service is in need of change and reform. It is a service which can make much better use of its existing resources; a Service which has to consider new ways of working and which needs to forge better partnerships; and a service which needs to attract a more diverse workforce, that better reflects the community it services. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister believes that by addressing these areas the Fire Service can further contribute to public safety.

Havering

John Cryer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed changes to local government finance on (a) the London Borough of Havering and (b) schools within the London Borough of Havering.

Nick Raynsford: The provisional local government finance settlement for 2003–04 was announced in the House of Commons on 5 December 2002, Official Report, column 1065 and incorporates the changes made to the formula grant distribution system following the full scale review.
	As part of the settlement, the London borough of Havering will receive #154.4 million formula grant for the 2003–04 financial year, which represents an increase of #5.2 million, or 3.5 per cent. over 2002–03. Havering's formula spending share for schools funding stands at #110.039 million for next year.

Irish Forum for Peace and Reconciliation

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representation he had at the Irish Forum for Peace and Reconciliation; and what assessment he has made of this initiative.

Denis MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
	The most recent meeting of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation was held on 27 November 2002. An official of the British Embassy in Dublin attended. HMG welcome dialogue across a number of different fora, including the Irish Forum for Peace and Reconciliation.

Regional Government Officers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 2 December, Official Report, column 517W, on regional Government officers what guidelines within the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relate to the provision of information by civil servants in Government regional offices to hon. Members.

Christopher Leslie: The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information contains guidance on the release of information relating to a Department's area of responsibility. The Code applies to requests for information from any person and there are no specific provisions for hon. Members.

Sprinklers

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is taking to ensure that all new schools, public buildings and commercial premises are fitted with sprinklers.

Christopher Leslie: There are no immediate plans to introduce amendments to the Building Regulations in relation to the provision of sprinklers.
	However, the Building Regulations are under constant review and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister proposes to begin work on a major revision of the fire safety aspects of the Regulations in 2004. The important issue of fire safety in schools, public buildings and commercial premises, are items that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be reviewing. As with any new guidance within an Approved Document, any decision in the future with regard to fire precautions in schools, public buildings and commercial premises would need to take account of a range of views, expert advice and of course a full Regulatory Impact Assessment.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Clergy Office Holders

Ben Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the clergy's status as office holders.

Stuart Bell: An analysis of the clergy's status as office holders can be found at paragraph 76 of the DTI's discussion document on Employment Status in relation to Statutory Employment Rights (URN 02/1058). The Archbishops' Council is preparing a response to this document, and a copy of the response will be made available when it is issued.

Local Authorities

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what representations the Commissioners have received concerning the proposed enforcement of local authority licensing on church venues and the payment of fees for musical performances in churches; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: Matters of this kind relating to Anglican cathedrals and churches in use, and matters relating to places of worship of other denominations and faiths, fall outside the formal responsibilities of the Church Commissioners.
	However, the Bishop of London's speech in Another Place on the Second Reading of the Licensing Bill drew attention to concerns expressed on behalf of churches, cathedrals and other people from the wider community about the provisions in the Bill regarding the use of places of worship for Xentertainment" such as concerts and plays. Unless these are for the purpose of religious meetings or services or incidental purposes, they would fall within the licensing requirements in the Bill, even though they are not Xcommercial" in character. I understand that Church of England staff are now in discussion with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport about this issue.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Assets Recovery Agency

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) police officers and (b) civil servants have been seconded to work with the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 9 December 2002
	I have been asked to reply.
	Recruitment of staff for the Northern Ireland branch of the Assets Recovery Agency is in hand for it to begin operations, as planned, in February 2003. One civil servant has been seconded from the Northern Ireland Office to assist the project manager. These local staff are supported by the national implementation programme team in London. Further appointments, including that of the Agency's Northern Ireland Assistant Director, will be made shortly.

Fire Dispute

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2002, ref 84475, on which occasions, and by whom, representatives of the Fire Service of Northern Ireland have attended meetings of the National Joint Council and Employers Side in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: One of the two members of the Fire Authority Board appointed by the Authority to represent it on the National Joint Council has attended National Joint Council meetings on the following dates: 26 February, 28 May and 30 October; and Employers Side meetings on 26 February, 28 May, 17 July, 21 August, 2 and 13 September, 28, 30 and 31 October and 5, 6, 11, 12, 21 and 28 November this year.
	The acting Chair of the Fire Authority attended three Employers Side meetings on 17 July, 21 August and 2 September. He was replaced as one of the two Authority representatives on JNC in October this year by another member of the Authority, who subsequently attended one Employers Side meeting on 28 November.
	The Fire Authority for Northern Ireland appoints two of its members to represent it on the National Joint Council. The representatives take their mandate from the Authority and are subject to re-appointment each year.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Mental Health

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by what means parents of children with mental health problems excluded from school, are able to influence the level and type of education undertaken by local education authorities.

Ivan Lewis: Whenever a child is excluded from school the parent has the right to make representations to the governing body; and if the exclusion is a permanent exclusion the parent may also appeal beyond the governing body to the appeal panel. Governing bodies and independent appeal panels must consider the parent's representations and all relevant factors relating to the child's exclusion.
	Where a child has been excluded, the LEA should involve the parents at an early stage in discussions about alternative school places, and keep parents in touch with progress. An individual re-integration plan must be drawn up taking into account the context and culture of the pupil, and should be discussed with the parents.
	Local education authorities (LEAs) have a duty to provide suitable education for those children who cannot attend school because of their medical needs, including children with defined mental health problems. In such cases parents should be full collaborative partners in the education process.

Primary Schools, Wycombe

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils entered primary schools in the Wycombe constituency in each year since 1997, broken down by ethnic group.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is not available centrally. The table provides the overall number of pupils by ethnic group.
	
		Maintained primary schools in Wycombe parliamentary constituency: number of pupils by ethnic group—position at January in each year
		
			  Pupils of compulsory school age and above  
			  White Black Caribbean Black African Black Other Indian Pakistani 
		
		
			 1997 5,963 377 22 89 72 1,481 
			 1998 5,920 391 20 97 84 1,524 
			 1999 5,139 335 17 89 76 1,387 
			 2000 5,037 321 29 74 68 1,396 
			 2001 4,867 300 36 89 79 1,365 
			 2002 4,766 270 36 91 76 1,384 
		
	
	
		
			   Pupils of compulsory school age and above 
			  Bangladeshi Chinese Other Classified(1) Unclassified Total(2) 
		
		
			 1997 21 22 206 8,253 83 8,336 
			 1998 16 18 177 8,247 61 8,308 
			 1999 25 22 174 7,264 11 7,275 
			 2000 29 24 263 7,241 7 7,248 
			 2001 28 24 352 7,140 7 7,147 
			 2002 30 23 276 6,952 83 7,035 
		
	
	(1) Pupils of compulsory school age were classified according to ethnic group.
	(2) Collection of ethnic group data was made for pupils of compulsory school age and above only.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

British Energy

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent independent advice she has received on the decommissioning costs of British Energy's facilities.

Brian Wilson: The Department's financial and accounting advisers have produced advice on a range of issues affecting British Energy. The company currently makes contributions to a Nuclear Generation Decommissioning Fund owned by the Nuclear Trust whose primary purpose is to pay the legitimate costs of decommissioning British Energy's UK nuclear power stations. The Trust held its first quinquennial review in 2001, taking advice as appropriate, to compare its funds with its assessment of those costs and published its conclusions on 10 December 2001. However, the Trust does not advise the Government on British Energy's decommissioning costs.

British Energy

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the (a) discounted present value and (b) undiscounted cost of decommissioning British Energy's nuclear facilities; and what percentage of these will be borne by the Government.

Brian Wilson: British Energy's annual report and accounts 2001–02 estimate the cost of decommissioning the company's nuclear power stations as #0.9 billion (discounted) and #4.8 billion (undiscounted). If the proposed restructuring announced by British Energy on 28 November is successful, it represents the best chance of the company meeting these costs itself. The amount Government will pay depends on the company's performance, and it will underwrite these liabilities to the extent that the funds are insufficient to meet these costs when they occur.

British Energy

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated implication is for (a) public expenditure and (b) revenue receipts over the next five years, of the renegotiated BNFL contracts with British Energy.

Brian Wilson: The precise terms of the new contracts between BNFL and British Energy have yet to be agreed. We anticipate that any impact on total Government revenues of the new commercial deal between BNFL and British Energy will be marginal, and entirely consistent with the fiscal projections in the Pre-Budget Report.

British Energy

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations took place between officials of her Department and the European Competition Commissioner in advance of her statement on the future financing of British Energy on 28 November 2002; and if she will place copies of notated (a) correspondence and (b) minutes of meetings in the Library.

Brian Wilson: Since the Government notified the financial support to British Energy on 10 September 2002, there have been a number of contacts between officials of my Department and officials of the European Competition Commissioner. Correspondence and minutes relating to these meetings contain commercially sensitive information, and as such, are exempt from disclosure under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Door-to-door Lenders

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Government is taking regarding extortionate interest rates used by door-to-door lenders.

Melanie Johnson: In July last year I announced a review of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and in August this year I published a report on the progress of the review, which included emerging ideas on how to increase protection for consumers against extortionate credit. I will be consulting on more detailed proposals in the early part of 2003. The review is also looking at ways of improving the current licensing regime to ensure better regulations of lenders.

Annual Statutory Audits

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the cost to small business over the past two years of the increase in the turnover threshold above which a business must undertake on annual statutory audit; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans she has to increase the #4.8 million turnover threshold above which a business must undergo an annual statutory audit.

Melanie Johnson: The Department of Trade and Industry is carrying out work to analyse the information that is available to assess the impact of the last increase that raised the audit threshold limit to #1 million.
	My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated in his Pre-Budget Report that we will shortly announce a programme of research to assess the impact of the increase before making a decision on further increases, inviting key stakeholders and other interested parties to contribute their views and experiences. In the light of conclusions drawn from the assessment, the Government will consult by summer 2003 on whether the audit exemption threshold should be increased or maintained at the current level.

Debt

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment he has made of the proportion of debt to income of different socio-economic groups in the United Kingdom.

Melanie Johnson: The Department of Trade and Industry commissioned a household survey into the cause extent and effect of over-indebtedness. The report was published on the 27 November 2002 and contains data on consumer credit repayments as a proportion of gross monthly income.
	The following table suggests that for non-pensioner households the lower the income the greater the likelihood that they will be paying 25 per cent. or more of their income on repayments (excluding mortgages).
	
		Non-pensioner households—Repayments as per cent. of monthly income (excluding mortgage)
		
			 Household income (#) Owes nothing (per cent.) 0–25 per cent. 25 per cent. plus 
		
		
			 Under 5,000 44 25 20 
			 5,000–7,499 42 38 14 
			 7,500–9,999 43 45 8 
			 10,000–14,999 39 49 2 
			 15,000–24,999 42 45 7 
			 25,000–34,999 36 55 2 
			 Over 35,000 44 46 6 
		
	
	Pensioner households show similar patterns to non-pensioner households, but the proportions repaying credit are smaller.
	
		Pensioner households—Repayments as per cent. of monthly income (excluding mortgage)
		
			 Household income (#) Owes nothing (per cent.) 0–25 per cent. 25 per cent. plus 
		
		
			 Under 5,000 8 0 14 3 
			 5,000–7,499 78 18 2 
			 7,500–9,999 80 15 2 
			 10,000–14,999 75 20 — 
			 15,000–24,999 65 24 3 
			 25,000–34,999 53 48 — 
			 Over 35,000 84 16 —

Energy Review

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) engineers and (b) scientists that have provided responses to the Energy Review.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 9 December 2002
	The Government are currently undertaking an energy review with a view to publishing a White Paper in the New Year. As part of that review the Government carried out a wide-ranging consultation exercise.
	A substantial number of professional engineering and scientific bodies responded to this consultation including the Research Council UK; the Royal Academy of Engineering; the Council of Science and Technology; the Institute of Mechanical Engineers; the University of Sheffield (Immobilisation Science Laboratory); Nuclear Physics Group of the Institute of Physics; the University of Leeds (School of Chemistry); and the Institution of Chemical Engineers. A list of responses to the Energy Review is available on the DTI's website at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/developep/responses.shtml

Fireworks

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many letters she has received in the last three months from (a) hon. Members and (b) Members of the public regarding fireworks.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 9 December 2002
	During the last three months the Department has received 359 letters from hon. Members and 1,089 letters from members of the public regarding fireworks.

Plutonium

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantities of plutonium owned by Swiss customers are held at Sellafield; in what form it is stored; and what arrangements exist for its return to Switzerland.

Brian Wilson: The total amount of plutonium to be allocated to any one reprocessing customer is directly related to the total amount of spent fuel that customer has contracted to be reprocessed. BNFL has contracts to reprocess at THORP 422 tonnes of spent fuel belonging to Swiss electricity generators. The total allocation of plutonium allocated to Swiss customers is a commercial and contractual matter for the owners of the spent fuel and BNFL as the provider of the reprocessing service. However, approximately 1 per cent. of each tonne of spent fuel will be plutonium.
	Certain Swiss reprocessing customers have already concluded contracts for the manufacture of MOX fuel, making use of their plutonium dioxide, and these contracts are in the process of being fulfilled. Accordingly, plutonium currently held at Sellafield on behalf of Swiss customers is held in three forms: spent fuel, separated plutonium dioxide and fresh MOX fuel. In addition, some Swiss owned plutonium dioxide has already been made into MOX fuel and used in Swiss reactors. All Swiss plutonium is expected to be returned to Switzerland in the form of MOX fuel.

Plutonium

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information her Department has (a) received and (b) sought from BNFL Westinghouse in the United States on its plutonium immobilisation programme.

Brian Wilson: None. I have been informed that BNFL/Westinghouse in the United States does not have a plutonium immobilisation programme in its portfolio of work.

Plutonium

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial investment has been made by BNFL into immobilization of surplus plutonium at Sellafield; and if she will make a statement on progress to date with the immobilisation programme.

Brian Wilson: BNFL have informed me that as part of its work programme to examine the management options for stored separated plutonium, it is carrying out analysis of various technologies under assessment or study worldwide. BNFL's investment in the plutonium fuels related R&D is approximately #2 million per year.
	The company is also examining alternative immobilisation techniques and technologies for those stocks which may prove difficult to convert into fuel. These non-fuel immobilisation technologies are currently in a development or exploratory stage, as they are throughout the world. The work being undertaken by BNFL is part of a wider investment in waste immobilisation technologies of some several million pounds each year; this includes an investment in the UK university base of some #2.5 million over five years.

Textile Industry

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to assist the British textile industry.

Alan Johnson: The Department is committed to building a sustainable future for the UK textile and clothing industry.
	To this end, DTI will continue to work with the industry-led Textiles and Clothing Strategy Group on a range of initiatives aimed at increasing its competitiveness and productivity through the development of innovative products, more efficient production methods and by diversifying into new markets.

Wind Farms

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has funded into the impact of wind farms on (a) military and (b) civilian radar.

Brian Wilson: The Department of Trade and Industry has funded five projects since March 2001, with a total value of #356,898, that have addressed the impact of wind farms on radar and aviation interests. These projects have all addressed both civilian and military radar.

TREASURY

Alcohol

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average (a) nominal and (b) real price of each form of alcohol with a separate duty regime was in each year since 1996; and what the consumption per head was of each form of alcohol with a separate duty regime in each year since 1996.

John Healey: Unfortunately, price data are not available at the level of individual duty regimes. The following tables contain estimates of annual average prices for beer, spirits, cider, light wine and sparkling wine. The estimates are based on bi-monthly prices from an established market research company for on-trade and off-trade outlets and have been weighted by volume.
	
		Estimated annual price of alcohol types -- #
		
			   Current prices  
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Beer (pint 1.49 1.55 1.61 1.65 1.7 1.71 
			 Spirits (litre) 24.93 24.91 25.28 25.51 26.84 25.43 
			 Cider (pint) 1.16 1.29 1.38 1.40 1.47 1.41 
			 Light wine (litre) 5.51 5.86 6.13 6.28 6.73 6.77 
			 Sparkling wine (litre) 8.01 8.11 7.90 7.60 7.90 7.91 
		
	
	
		Estimated annual price of alcohol types -- #
		
			   Constant 2001 prices  
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Beer (pint 1.69 1.70 1.71 1.73 1.73 1.71 
			 Spirits (litre) 28.3 27.41 26.91 26.74 27.33 25.43 
			 Cider (pint) 1.32 1.42 1.47 1.47 1.49 1.41 
			 Light wine (litre) 6.25 6.45 6.52 6.58 6.85 6.77 
			 Sparkling wine (litre) 9.09 8.92 8.40 7.97 8.05 7.91 
		
	
	The following table contains estimates for consumption per head for the different categories of alcohol under separate duty regimes. They have been obtained using estimated adult population aged 16 and over and clearance volumes.
	
		
			   Litres per adult 
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Beer 128.3 130.3 124.8 124.3 119.6 121.4 
			 Spirits (@40 per cent. abv) 4.4 4.5 4.2 4.8 4.9 5.0 
			 Cider 12.1 11.8 11.8 12.7 12.6 12.3 
			 Wine of fresh grape   
			 Still <15 per cent. abv 16.4 16.3 16.9 17.7 18.6 19.9 
			 Sparkling <15 per cent. abv 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.2 1.1 1.1 
			 >15 per cent. abv 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.6 
			 Made wine   
			 >1.2 per cent. to 5.5 per cent. abv 3.8 2.5 2.6 3.8 5.9 7.7 
			 Still >5.5 per cent. to 15 per cent. abv (and >15 per cent. abv) 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.8 
			 Sparkling >5.5 per cent. to 15 per cent. abv 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01

Customs and Excise

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by HM Customs and Excise at Newhaven.

John Healey: Fourteen people are employed by HM Customs and Excise at Newhaven.

Debt Relief

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations from Scotland concerning debt relief for developing countries were received by his office in 2002.

John Healey: The Treasury receives a large volume of correspondence on debt relief. In 2002 the Treasury has received to date over 29,000 letters and postcards on debt relief and related issues. Unfortunately, the number of representations received from each nation and region of the United Kingdom are not recorded separately.

Public Sector Regulations

Stephen O'Brien: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions he will take in the event of the Office of Fair Trading finding proposed public sector regulations to have deleterious effects on competition.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) may express a view on the competition impact of proposed public sector regulations during informal consultations or as part of the competition assessment in the Regulatory Impact Assessment process (all proposals for legislation which have an impact on business undergo a Regulatory Impact Assessment). Such views will of course be given due consideration.
	OFT also carry out investigatory market studies which may consider the impact of existing or proposed regulation. The Government will respond to such market studies with recommendations within 90 days of receiving the report.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing World (Water Shortages)

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the threat of long-term water shortages to the developing world.

Sally Keeble: It is estimated that by 2025 two thirds of the world's population will be suffering water shortages because of lack of water resources especially in Asia and Africa. At present 1 in 5 people lack access to clean water and half of humanity have no sanitation. At the Johannesburg Summit strong commitments were made to better management of water resources and improved access to water and sanitation. My Department is working with its partners to implement these.

Africa Action Plan

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with colleagues from G8 member governments regarding the implementation of the Africa Action Plan.

Clare Short: The commitments made to Africa at the G8 Summit in Kananaskis will require sustained commitment. The UK has published its implementation plan and we are pressing others to do the same.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the recommendations set out in the UN Panel of Experts' report on the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Clare Short: We believe the broad thrust of the UN Panel of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo was useful but it contained some notable and deeply regrettable inaccuracies. We await further information on many of the claims made. We have asked specifically for information to substantiate the claims made against UK companies and nationals.
	The current panel's mandate expired when it submitted its last report. We are likely to argue for an extension of the mandate in order that the report can be better substantiated.

Afghanistan (Health and Welfare)

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the importance of professional armed forces in the process of rebuilding the health and welfare infrastructure in Afghanistan.

Clare Short: The decree issued by President Karzai during the Petersberg meeting last week on creating a professional Afghan National Army is an important breakthrough. This should lead to progress in extending security outside Kabul which is essential for progress in development.

Ethiopia (Famine)

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the famine in Ethiopia.

Clare Short: The humanitarian situation is a matter of concern. But in 2002, good co-ordination and timely action by the Government of Ethiopia, donors and NGOs has prevented crisis from turning into disaster.
	The UK has played a significant role and committed #17.3 million to food and non-food humanitarian assistance in calendar year 2002. DFID has also provided nearly 20 per cent. of the EC contribution. We have also actively promoted and participated in continuous dialogue on the situation between Government, donors and NGOs.
	On 7 December, a joint Government-UN appeal was launched for humanitarian assistance in 2003. The appeal identifies 11.3 million people as needing more than 1.4 million metric tonnes of food assistance and places a further 3 million under close monitoring. Such massive need has resulted from the impact of widespread drought on a highly vulnerable population with little capacity to cope with shocks.
	The scale of need has led to comparison with the famine of 1984. However, as reiterated by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi during the appeal launch, no-one anticipates a repeat of the suffering experienced in 1984. A state of war existed in Ethiopia at that time which impeded the humanitarian response. In addition, Government, donors and NGOs have put effective systems of early warning and response in place that were absent in 1984.
	But there is no room for complacency. We remain committed to playing our part in responding rapidly to urgent humanitarian need. We also continue to support the Government of Ethiopia in tackling the underlying causes of food insecurity and protecting the vulnerable.

Less-developed Countries

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research she has conducted into the factors determining levels of private investment in less-developed countries.

Clare Short: DFID commissioned a number of papers on private investment (domestic and foreign) as part of the background research programme for the December 2000 White Paper on XEliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor". These papers are listed at the back of the White paper and are available on the Government White Paper website: www.globalisation.gov.uk Currently, we are funding two Development Research Centres: the Centre for Regulation and Competition and the Centre for New and Emerging Markets, both of which conduct research into issues related to private investment in developing countries. In addition to funding research, we keep track of relevant research findings from other institutions.

Karenni People

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government are providing to the displaced Karenni people on the Thai-Burmese border.

Clare Short: There are an estimated 130,000 refugees from Karen and Kayah state, living in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. Some authorities in Thailand have estimated that a total of 1 million people from Burma live outside of camps in Thailand. The situation for all refugees and internally displaced persons remains extremely vulnerable.
	In 2002–03, my Department has so far disbursed funds of #1.3 million for humanitarian assistance to support both refugees and internally displaced people within Burma/Thailand. The funding is channelled through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

GATS

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the GATS agreement will affect a local community's ability to control the provision of services in their area.

Clare Short: Under the GATS, Governments retain the right and ability to determine their own domestic regulatory regimes including national policies relating to universal service, affordability of cost to the consumer, quality assurance etc.
	In addition the UK Government, other WTO Members and the WTO Secretariat consider public services to be outside the scope of the GATS, regardless of the involvement of private sector finance, where the service to the consumer remains a public service.
	Thus, a community's ability to control the provision of services in their area is a matter between that community and its government and cannot be compromised by the GATS.

Algeria (Refugee Camps)

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total expenditure is in the current year by her Department on support for Western Sahara refugees in camps in Algeria.

Clare Short: Our assistance to the Saharawi refugees is channelled through contributions to the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO).
	A new global plan for assistance to the Saharawi was agreed by the EC in May this year. This will provide 14.34 million euros (approximately #9 million) of assistance over a 15-month period. This brings the total assistance provided since 1993 to over 95 million euros, including over 79 million euros in food aid programme co-ordinated by ECHO, the World Food Programme and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Nearly 20 per cent. of this funding comes from my Department's budget.
	The UK also supports refugees through UNHCR including, but not specifically, Saharawi in camps in Algeria. My Department has recently signed a four-year Institutional Strategy Paper with UNHCR which guarantees the agency core funding for the next four years. For 2002 this contribution is #14 million. As this contribution is unearmarked it is difficult to ascertain exactly how much of the #14 million is spent in the context of this specific refugee situation.

Iraq

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian implications of a conflict with Iraq.

Clare Short: My Department is engaged in regular contingency planning for a variety of potential humanitarian emergencies around the world. In the case of Iraq, we are considering a wide range of contingencies, which take into account the present humanitarian situation in the country. No decision has been taken to launch military action against Iraq and military action is not inevitable.

Iraq

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the UN regarding humanitarian contingency planning for a potential war in Iraq.

Clare Short: My Department has regular discussions with the UN on general contingency preparedness planning for a variety of eventualities and in a number of countries where it works. In the case of Iraq, the UN is preparing for all eventualities. No decision has been taken to launch military action against Iraq and military action is not inevitable.

Uzbekistan

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she will next visit Uzbekistan to discuss aid to Uzbekistan; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: I have no plans to visit Uzbekistan to discuss aid to the country. I plan to visit Uzbekistan in May next year to chair the Annual Meeting of the EBRD Board of Governors.

Malawi

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Malawi.

Clare Short: A recent assessment concluded that 2.2 million people in Malawi are currently in need of food assistance, and this will rise to 3.25 million—a third of the population—between January and March 2003. Another assessment is now under way. It is also considering the extent to which AIDS and income poverty have contributed to the crisis. The results should be available by 30 December.
	My Department is playing a leading role in partnership with the Government of Malawi and other donors, in dealing with the crisis. Since November 2001 DFID has provided #30 million emergency assistance to Malawi.

Nagorno-Karabakh

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is providing to Armenia and to help with the refugee problem in Nagorno-Karabakh; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: My Department has provided support to refugees who have fled from Azerbaijan and Karabakh to Armenia, and also to Azeri refugees who have fled from Armenia and Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Between 2000 and 2001, we gave #660,000 to UNHCR to support refugees in Armenia. In March 2001, we also gave an additional #500,000 to WFP to provide emergency food assistance to 297,000 subsistence farmers and other drought victims in Armenia.
	We provide approximately #2 million for longer-term developmental assistance to Armenia. This is focused on public sector reform, the implementation of poverty reduction strategies and work on medium-term expenditure planning.
	In 2003, DFID in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, plans to spend a further #2 million from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool on a three-year conflict prevention programme. These funds will be used to help the victims of the conflict and maximise the chances of reaching an acceptable settlement on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

CDC Investments

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to reduce the target rates of return for CDC investments.

Clare Short: The Government do not set target rates of return for CDC investments.

Occupied Territories

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Clare Short: The only solution to the humanitarian situation in Palestine is through political action, but we should not allow the increased human suffering of the Palestinian people to continue unaddressed. The UN has recently produced a plan of action to help the international community address the most urgent needs. We are supporting a broad range of emergency programmes through UNRWA, local NGOs and the World bank. In October, I agreed an additional #5 million from my Department's contingency reserve to meet the continuing urgent needs of the Palestinian people.

World Poverty

Mike Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to ensure that programmes for tackling world poverty continue after the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.

Clare Short: 900 million people are still likely to be living in extreme poverty in 2015 if the Millennium Development Goals are achieved. Our commitment to eliminate poverty will not end in 2015.
	The 2015 targets are intended to focus international efforts and build a more effective international development system. New targets will need to be set after 2015.

Africa (Famine)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development What help her Department is giving to those countries in Africa that are suffering from famine.

Clare Short: We have made the following commitments for the humanitarian crisis in southern Africa, since September 2001. In addition, we estimate that our contribution to commitments by the European Commission to date is approximately #21.42 million.
	
		
			 Date/country Description Total (# million) 
		
		
			 September 2001   
			 Zimbabwe Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO): Feeding programme 4.0 
			 Zimbabwe World Food Programme (WFP): Emergency Appeal 3.5 
			 Malawi Agricultural Targeted Inputs Programme 3.75 
			 Angola UN Appeal for Angola 2001 0.5 
			
			 January-May 2002   
			 Malawi NGOs: Feeding programmes 4.4 
			 Malawi Winter Agricultural Inputs programme 1.2 
			 Angola Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF): Assistance to Displaced People in Kuito and Camacupa 0.45 
			 Angola UN Appeal for Angola 2002 1.0 
			 Angola International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): Appeal for Angola 2002 0.3 
			
			 June 2002   
			 Zimbabwe WFP: Regional Emergency Feeding Operation 7.0 
			 Lesotho WFP: Regional Emergency Feeding Operation 1.56 
			 Malawi WFP: Regional Emergency Feeding Operation 5.0 
			 Swaziland WFP: Regional Emergency Feeding Operation 0.25 
			 Zambia WFP: Regional Emergency Feeding Operation 5.0 
			 Zambia NGOs: Food for work programme 1.02 
			 Region WFP: Logistical support in Johannesburg regional hub, Lesotho and Zimbabwe 0.51 
			 Region Southern Africa Development Community (SADC): Vulnerability assessments to improve targeting of humanitarian assistance 0.2 
			 Region International Federation of Red Cross/Crescent Societies (IFRC): Feeding HIV/AIDS affected people 2.5 
			 Region WHO: regional health operation 0.13 
			 Malawi Agricultural Targeted Inputs Programme 6.8 
			 Zimbabwe NGOs: Agricultural inputs 5.0 
			 Zimbabwe World Health Organisation (WHO): Essential drugs and medicines 2.5 
			 Angola UN Bridging Request for Humanitarian Operations 0.67 
			
			 July 2002   
			 Angola MSF: Assistance to Displaced People in Bunjei and Huambo 0.3 
			 Angola MSF: Assistance to Population of Saurimo and Cuando Cubango 0.3 
			
			 August 2002   
			 Angola ICRC: 2002 Appeal for Angola 0.75 
			
			 September 2002   
			 Zimbabwe NGOs: Feeding Programmes 16.0 
			 Malawi/Region WFP: Nacala Rail-link 4.1 
			
			 October 2002   
			 Zambia Agricultural recovery through NGO's and FAO 1.5 
			 Zambia Improved nutrition programme 1.2 
			 Zambia Support to the health sector 0.2 
			 Region Southern African Humanitarian Information Service (SAHIMS) 0.11 
			 Region Southern Africa Humanitarian Crisis Unit: Monitoring and liaison 0.5 
			 Lesotho Livelihoods recovery through agriculture programme 1.0 
			 Zimbabwe Epidemic preparedness 1.2 
			 Zimbabwe Improved nutrition programme 1.1 
			 Angola UN Development Programme (UNDP): Emergency Mine Action Co-ordination 0.3 
			 Angola International Organisation for Migration (IOM): Assistance to Internally Displaced People in Kuanza Sul and Huambo 0.25 
			
			 November 2002   
			 Region SADC: Vulnerability assessments 0.2 
			 Zambia WFP: Emergency Feeding Operation 3.5 
			 Lesotho WFP: Emergency Feeding Operation 0.5 
			 Angola WFP: Food Assistance to Vulnerable People 2.0 
			 Angola WFP: Logistical Support 0.75 
			 Angola UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): Emergency Response Fund 0.5 
			 Angola UNOCHA: Co-ordination of Emergency Activities 0.2 
			 Total since September 2001 Humanitarian assistance and recovery programmes 93.7 
		
	
	We have also made the following contributions for humanitarian interventions in Ethiopia and Eritrea since September 2001. In addition the UK provides nearly 20 per cent. of EC Support, which has included Euro23 million for food aid in October 2002 and Euro4 million of humanitarian aid for the victims of drought.
	
		
			 Date/country Description Total (# million) 
		
		
			 December 2001   
			 Ethiopia Contribution to ICRC 2002 Appeal 3.0 
			 Eritrea Contribution to ICRC 2002 Appeal 0.75 
			
			 March 2002   
			 Ethiopia WFP: Employment Generation Schemes 1.0 
			 Ethiopia WFP: Relief Food Assistance to Small Scale Farmers and Pastoralists 1.0 
			 Ethiopia WFP: Early Warning Systems Development and Implementation 0.16 
			 Ethiopia WFP: Food Assistance for Refugees and Repatriates 0.15 
			 Ethiopia UNICEF: Provision of Contingency Support to Emergency Response 0.5 
			 Ethiopia UNICEF: Jijiga Therapeutic Feeding Training and Demonstration Centre 0.23 
			 Ethiopia UNICEF: Mine Awareness Education 0.14 
			 Ethiopia UNDP: Support IDPs and Recovery Programme Coordination 0.36 
			 Ethiopia WHO: Prevention and Control of Epidemic Meningococcal Disease 0.35 
			 Ethiopia UNDP Emergency Unit for Ethiopia: Humanitarian Programme Coordination 0.25 
			
			 July 2002   
			 Ethiopia Second Contribution to ICRC 2002 Appeal 2.0 
			 Eritrea Second Contribution to ICRC 2002 Appeal 0.6 
			
			 September 2002   
			 Ethiopia UNICEF: Water and Environmental Sanitation 0.5 
			
			 October 2002   
			 Ethiopia GOAL: Emergency Relief Assistance for Drought Affected Pastoralists 0.58 
			 Ethiopia MSF: Pre-Harvest Food Gap Nutrition Intervention in Dehanna Woreda 0.17 
			 Ethiopia MSF: Tuberculosis Control Programme 0.29 
			 Ethiopia SCF: Emergency Drought Relief 1.43 
			
			 November 2002   
			 Ethiopia Oxfam: Afar Emergency Response 0.2 
			 Total since September 2001 Humanitarian assistance and recovery programme 13.66 
		
	
	In addition on 3 December the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development announced a further #5 million of relief to meet humanitarian needs in Ethiopia.

West Africa (Cocoa Production)

Chris Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to assist those employed in West African cocoa production.

Clare Short: It is imperative that we help producers in developing countries benefit from international trade, in order to facilitate economic growth and to help contribute to poverty reduction. Thus through the Doha Development Agenda agreed at the 4th WTO Ministerial in November 2001, the UK is arguing for significant reductions in trade distorting policies and greater access for developing country products to OECD markets, particularly for agricultural goods.
	At a country-specific level, the UK Government are providing direct support to West African Governments for the development of smallholder agriculture. Specifically in Ghana, the UK supports feeder roads construction in cocoa growing areas, which has restored access to markets and provided alternative short-term employment for farmers. The UK has also supported a fair trade initiative to market Ghanaian chocolate in the UK.

Angola

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Angola.

Clare Short: The humanitarian situation in Angola remains serious. Since the ceasefire, already over-stretched aid agencies have been able to access several thousand more severely malnourished people. The 2003 UN CAP states that 4.3 million Angolans depend on some form of humanitarian assistance and the WFP has raised its caseload figure of people requiring assistance to 1.9 million. However, humanitarian agencies are still unable to reach 200,000 people and 40 per cent. of the countryside due to damaged infrastructure, inadequate road networks and mine infestation. Up to one million people may be cut-off during the upcoming seasonal rains.
	This year, my Department has provided almost #8 million in humanitarian support. This includes #2 million to the International Committee for the Red Cross and Medicins Sans Frontieres, #300,000 to the United Nations Development Programme for demining, #250,000 to assist the International Organization for Migration with the resettlement of internally displaced people (IDPs), and over #2.5 million to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Zimbabwe (Governance)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her policy on aid to Zimbabwe, with special reference to promotion of good governance.

Clare Short: Our assistance for Zimbabwe is focused entirely on the interlinked crises of the food shortage and the impact of HIV/AIDS. Both are set in the context of disastrous national policies on the economy and governance. We do not believe that the people of Zimbabwe should be deprived of international support in the current crises because of the gross misgovernment of their country.

HIPC (World Bank)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department is doing to increase the transparency of World Bank decisions affecting poverty in heavily indebted poor countries; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: Since April 2001, the World Bank has been moving towards making the work of its executive board more transparent. We have encouraged and are supportive of these efforts. The Chairman's concluding remarks or summings up are now made publicly available on most board discussions, including those on the debt sustainability analyses that underpin decisions on the level of debt relief to the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs). These analyses are prepared jointly by the World Bank and IMF in collaboration with the Governments in the countries themselves.

Afghanistan

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts the Government are making to assist in the process of having open and democratic elections in Afghanistan in December 2003.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK is working closely with the Transitional Authority, the UN and international partners to secure the full implementation of the 2001 Bonn Agreement, the framework within which elections in 2004 will take place. Our focus is on working to ensure the elections take place in a context of stability—political, economic and security.
	We are in continual dialogue with the Transitional Authority, supporting its efforts to rebuild the mechanisms of government. We contributed #1 million to the office of the UN Special Representative to assist with their work developing a political framework and #1 million to the Afghan Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to assist them with capacity building and restructuring. The UK has earmarked a further #1 million for the development of an independent judicial system.
	The UK has pledged #200 million over the next five years for both reconstruction and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and is also contributing 19 per cent. of the European Commission's Euro1 billion assistance package over the same period. Our contribution of #13 million, last week, helped Afghanistan clear its debt arrears to international financial institutions and enabled the Afghan Transitional Authority to access an Asian Development Bank concessional loan of #100 million to support the reconstruction effort.
	The UK led the multi-national ISAF, authorised by the United Nations Security Council, from December 2001 until June 2002.
	Security Sector Reform (SSR) is the best way of extending the ISAF effect outside Kabul. The UK has committed #22 million for SSR including support for the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Argentina

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian aid she plans for Argentina; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: None. We are focusing our effort on working with the international financial institutions which are providing support to address Argentina's economic crisis.

HIV/AIDS

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to increase its total spending on HIV/AIDS projects over the next three years.

Clare Short: My Department places HIV/AIDS high on our list of priorities of countries and is making significant contributions to combating the epidemic. In our bilateral programme alone, expenditure on HIV/AIDS-related work has increased from #38 million in 1997–98 to over #200 million in 2001–02. DFID's overall programme in Africa is set to increase from #640 million to #1 billion by 2006 and HIV/AIDS will remain one of the highest priorities for the region. We will continue to support health system strengthening and comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, care and mitigation programmes. We will also support the development and implementation of national AIDS control strategies to combat the epidemic, and to provide assistance in the framework of such strategies.

HIV/AIDS

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department spent on HIV/AIDS programmes in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002 through (i) bi-lateral, (ii) NGOs and (iii) bilateral aid.

Clare Short: Data are not held centrally in the format requested and to collate them would incur disproportionate costs. However, my Department has spent the following amounts on HIV/AIDS related work through the bilateral programme, including through NGOs.
	
		
			  # million 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1999–2000 75 
			 2000–01 120 
			 2001–02 200 
		
	
	We have also made the following multilateral contributions to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS):
	
		
			  # million 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1999–2000 3 
			 2000–01 3 
			 2001–02 3 
		
	
	We have also in this period provided funding to other international agencies with significant HIV/AIDS programmes, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), the European Community (EC) and the World Bank. However, it is not possible to determine the portion of our contributions used for HIV/AIDS work as opposed to the other work of these agencies.

Tanzania (Prison Overcrowding)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to the Government of Tanzania regarding prison overcrowding in the country; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: DFID provides budgetary support to the Government of Tanzania's Poverty Reduction Strategy which this year increased resources for prisons, police, and the judiciary. Legal Sector Reform is a key priority of the Poverty Reduction Strategy and Denmark is the lead donor for this work. We are aware of concerns on lack of progress and DFID have been asked to participate in a joint donor and government appraisal early in 2003 to agree on next steps.

DEFENCE

Challenger Tanks

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts he has had with Vickers for the desertification of Challenger tanks; what components are covered under these contracts; what the date of the contracts was; what modifications were suggested by Vickers to the MoD regarding desertification; and what the MoD's response was.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 5 December 2002, Official Report, column 927W. There has been a wide range of discussions with Alvis Vickers Ltd. (previously Vickers Defence Systems) related to the modifications to improve Challenger 2's performance in desert conditions. I am withholding the specific details of the modification work under Exemption 1 (Defence, security and international relations) of the Code of Practice on Access toGovernment Information.

Compensation Claims

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many claims from (a) UK and (b) non-UK citizens for compensation are outstanding against his Department for accidents; how many claims have been outstanding for more than (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many outstanding claims there are for compensation for his Department from civilian employees for work-related accidents; how many are more than (a) one year and (b) two years old; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many outstanding claims for compensation his Department is dealing with relating to service personnel who received injuries at the time of duty; how many have been outstanding for more than (a) one, (b) two and (c) three years; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The claims databases operated by the Ministry of Defence and its contracted claims handlers do not record information in such a way to distinguish between claims for compensation from United Kingdom and non-UK citizens. The following table sets out the number of current outstanding personal injury related claims against MOD from both UK and non-UK citizens.
	
		
			 More than one year More than two years More than three years Total number of outstanding claims 
		
		
			 11,654 694 1,015 5,687 
		
	
	The current number of outstanding claims against the Ministry of Defence from civilian employees for work related accidents are as follows:
	
		
			 More than one year More than two years Total number of outstanding claims 
		
		
			 534 298 1,390 
		
	
	The current number of outstanding claims against the Ministry of Defence from Service personnel for injuries suffered on duty are as follows:
	
		
			 More than one year More than two years More than three years Total number of outstanding claims 
		
		
			 1,007 425 499 3,739 
		
	
	When compensation claims are submitted, they are considered on the basis of whether or not the Ministry of Defence has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation we do so. Most claims are settled amicably on a legal liability basis without recourse to the courts.

Departmental Assets

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the value is of each agency's fixed assets (a) in Scotland and (b) elsewhere; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the value is of his Department's assets holdings, broken down by asset holder under the headings of (a) Land and Buildings Scotland, (b) Land and Buildings UK, (c) Land and Buildings Overseas, (d) Fighting Equipment, (e) Nuclear Submarine Fleet, (f) Nuclear Missile Capacity, (g) Heritage Assets, (h) Plant and Machinery, (i) Vehicles and (j) Investments, was in the last financial year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Details of Ministry of Defence asset holdings are published by HM Treasury every three years in the National Asset Register. The latest information was provided in July 2001 in Section 7 of Cm 5221 which shows values, holders and (where relevant) geographical locations, broken down by official asset category. Broader information on values is also published annually in the Ministry of Defence Consolidated Departmental Resource Accounts and in the annual reports and accounts of individual agencies. Copies of the National Asset Register, Resource Accounts and agency accounts have been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Employees (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of each of Her Majesty's forces are stationed in Scotland; how many of his Department's civilians are (a) working in and (b) based in Scotland; what the projected totals are for (i) 2001–02 and (ii) 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The information requested for civilian staff is given in the table.
	
		Full-time equivalent(3)
		
			 Date MOD civilian staff working in Scotland  
		
		
			 April 2001 9,421 
			 April 2002 8,597 
			 October 2002 8,444 
		
	
	(3) Figures include full time equivalent values for part timers.
	For civilian staff we can only tabulate where they work and do not make a distinction between, working in and based in, hence only one figure has been provided. Furthermore, we do not make predictions on future staffing levels and the three dates provided aim to give a representative snapshot for the periods requested.
	At 1 April 2002 the number of United Kingdom regular forces personnel posted to Scotland was 14,250. This includes 4,670 Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel, 3,710 Army personnel and 5,870 RAF personnel. These figures exclude full time Reserve Service, Reservists mobilised for duty, Gurkhas and members of the Royal Irish Home Service.

Information (Exemptions)

Alice Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 3rd December (ref 84133), under which subsection of Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information he withheld the information.

Geoff Hoon: The information was withheld under subsection 'a' of Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to information whose disclosure would harm national security or defence.

Research and Development

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what total expenditure for research and development was in the last year for which figures are available, how much of it is spent in Scotland, broken down into (a) DERA's own research sites and (b) research funded in academic and non-DERA sites; and what the names of these sites were.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 10 December 2002
	In financial year 2000–01 Ministry of Defence spent #2,379 million net inclusive of VAT on research and development.
	It is not possible to state how much of that total figure represented expenditure in the United Kingdom or in Scotland since our data does not include a regional breakdown.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Current Affairs Broadcasting (Scotland)

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive regarding current affairs broadcasting in Scotland.

Kim Howells: holding answer 5 December 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not held any such discussions with the Scottish Executive.

Darts

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she is taking to enable darts to be recognised as a sport.

Kim Howells: My Department is considering the potential for amendments to the Physical Training and Recreation Act 1937 and the wider implications of any such amendment.

Films (Funding)

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many films which have received funding from the Film Council have been screened with subtitling and audio description provision.

Kim Howells: The figures requested are not available. However, the Film Council is drawing up a wide-ranging disabilities policy, which will strengthen requirements for the provision of subtitling in Film Council funded feature films. It has also announced (a) allocation of up to #350,000 towards a pilot project to install captioning and audio description equipment in selected UK cinemas (b) allocation of a further 60,000 to make grants available to film distributors for captioning and audio describing films released on less than 100 prints (c) allocation of #40,000 in Lottery funding to invest in the research and development of a personal captioning device.

Listed Places of Worship

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been paid out under the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme.

Kim Howells: #5,257,404.34 had been dispersed in grant payments under the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme as of 25 November 2002.

Listed Places of Worship

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been given by English Heritage in grant-in-aid to listed places of worship in the last five years.

Kim Howells: A total of #62,344,000 has been offered to listed places of worship (including cathedrals) in grant-in-aid by English Heritage in the last five years.
	
		All figures #000
		
			 Financial year (to 31 March) Places of worship except cathedrals Cathedrals (C of E and RC) Total 
		
		
			  
			 1997–98 10,023 2,043 12,066 
			 1998–99 12,202 2,578 14,780 
			 1999–2000 9,994 3,146 13,140 
			 2000–01 13,747 2,924 16,671 
			 2001–02 3,170 2,517 5,687 
			 Grand Total   62,344 
		
	
	These figures are for grants offered. English Heritage makes offers against which the grantee can then claim. A number of years may elapse between a grantee receiving a grant offer and actually claiming it.

National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many grants of #48,000 or more were made by NESTA in each year since 1998; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The following table shows how many grants of 48,000 or more were made by NESTA in each year since 1988:
	
		
			 Financial year 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 Total 
		
		
			 Number of awards over #48k 4 19 50 62 135 
			 Total number of awards 6 25 67 102 200 
		
	
	The figures above include every award contracted or commissioned by NESTA to 31 March 2002 (the most recent date for which audited figures are available). The total size of award includes funding that has been released directly to the awardee or to cover the costs of commissioned areas of work but does not include added value expenditure such as the cost of mentoring. It includes any agreed release of contingency funding, but not any reserved contingency which may or may not be spent in the future. It treats as distinct any separate awards to the same project which have involved separate funding decisions.

Public Entertainments Licence

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if there will be a difference in cost between a premises licence which incorporates permission to provide entertainment and one which does not.

Kim Howells: A premises will be able to obtain permission for live music at no extra cost to the fee for obtaining permission to sell alcohol. Furthermore, the introduction of a single integrated licensing scheme is estimated to save industry #1.97 billion over the first ten years.
	The level of fees will be decided following consultations with industry and local government stakeholders.

Public Entertainments Licence

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what is the cost of a public entertainments licence in each local authority;
	(2)  how many public entertainments licences were issued by each local authority in the last 12 months;
	(3)  how much was received by each local authority from the issue of public entertainment licences in the last year for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: The information that has been requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would represent a disproportionate cost to the Department. However, The Chartered Institute of Public Finances and Accountancy estimated that approximately 46,000 public entertainment licences were issued in 2000–01 by the local authorities and that #16 million was received in connection with these.
	Licences are reviewed annually and a fee is paid both for each grant and on each renewal. Fees are set by local authorities at their own discretion and in many cases a single fee is not set. Fees are often set in bands on the basis of the capacity of the venue.

Licensing Bill

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 4 December, ref.84617, what criteria were used to decide on which organisations to consult on the White Paper, Time for Reform; and for what reason Salisbury District Council was not included.

Kim Howells: The publication of the White Paper, Time for Reform, in April 2000, was followed by a well-publicised, open public consultation announced in both Houses of Parliament and which resulted in 1,215 responses being received. Copies of the White Paper were specifically sent to those organisations, including a number of district councils, which had written to us with their views during the review that took place prior to publication and which raised issues relating to licensing generally. Salisbury District Council did not fall into these categories. The Local Government Association, with whom we had established a good working relationship, was also sent a copy of the White Paper with the expectation that they would consult their members, including all local authorities.

Licensing Bill

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the guidance to be issued to local authorities under the Licensing Bill [Lords].

Kim Howells: The Government intend to publish draft guidance in Spring 2003. We are currently working with an advisory group of key stakeholders to assist us in meeting this timetable. Detailed framework guidance was published on the Bill's First Reading on November 14.

Licensing Bill

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the financial impact on the hospitality industry of the measures included in the Licensing Bill [Lords].

Kim Howells: Appendix 4 of the White Paper XTime for Reform: Proposals for the Modernisation of our Licensing Laws" published in April 2000 estimated, using figures supplied by industry, that the hospitality and leisure industry would benefit from savings of #1.9 billion over the first 10 years of the licensing regime proposed in the Licensing Bill. The calculations used were subsequently refined and the Regulatory Impact Assessment published alongside the Bill and placed in the Libraries of both Houses estimates total savings of #1.97 billion over the first 10 years.

TRANSPORT

A49

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on extending the speed restriction south of Bayston Hill on the A49.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from T. Matthews to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 11 December 2002
	I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent question about extending the speed limit south of Bayston Hill on the A49 Trunk Road.
	There are a number of criteria that are used when deciding an appropriate speed limit, including the nature of the road and its surroundings, existing traffic speeds and the accident rate. The speed limit should appear reasonable to most drivers and have the support of the police, who have responsibility for enforcement.
	The 30 mph speed limit through Bayston Hill was introduced in 1997 as part of a traffic calming scheme through the village. The length south of Bayston Hill is much more rural in character, there have been only two incidents in the last three years, resulting in two minor injuries. Most drivers would consider that a reduction in the limit there would be inappropriate for the conditions and it is unlikely that the police would support any change. In the circumstances, it would therefore be difficult for us to justify an extension of the limit.
	That said, the Route Management Strategy for the A49 between Ross-on-Wye and Shrewsbury, which went out to public consultation earlier this year, is examining the appropriateness of all existing speed limits along the route, including Bayston Hill. Amongst other things, it will identify a short and long term programme of improvements and aim at a consistent speed strategy. If anomalies are found, changes will be made. A report is due early in the new year.
	I hope this is helpful. If you would like more information, the Agency's Route Sponsor for the A49, Dennis Wheeler, would be pleased to assist. He can be contacted at our offices at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham B15 1BL, or by telephone on 0121 678 8126.

Airports

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters he has received (a) supporting and (b) opposing the (i) Midlands New Site Option contained within the National Consultation on the Future of Air Transport in the UK: Midlands and (ii) the closure of Birmingham International Airport, as proposed in the National Consultation on the Future of Air Transport in the UK: Midlands.

David Jamieson: We have not yet analysed all the responses but we will produce a summary when the consultation comes to a close.

Airports

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department will take to ensure that those who have responded to the consultation are (a) informed of the forthcoming Gatwick consultation paper and (b) able to adjust their submissions accordingly.

David Jamieson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced to Parliament on 28 November 2002, Official Report, columns 474–75, that the consultation on airports capacity will be kept open until we have consulted on options for new runways in relation to Gatwick.
	Those who have already responded to the consultation will be able to amend, add to, or replace their response having considered the new document. We will set out our plans for the remaining stage of the consultation process, including how we will inform respondents, when we publish the further consultation paper in the new year.

Airports

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the implications of airport policy options for the South East for the (a) rail and (b) road networks.

David Jamieson: The South East and East of England Regional Air Services Study included an assessment of the type of road and rail infrastructure that would be needed both to connect the airport options to the strategic network and the type and scale of improvements that might be required on the strategic network.
	The results of these appraisals are summarised for each of the published options in XThe Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom (South East)" main consultation document, and further details are contained in supporting reports.

Airports

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh West of 8 November on Edinburgh airport; and for what reason the reply has been delayed.

David Jamieson: We have received a large number of responses to our consultation The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom, both from Members of Parliament and from members of the public. Latest estimates put the figure at over 35,000 including letters and electronic responses. These are all being processed as quickly as possible.

Central Railway Scheme

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place a copy of the Strategic Rail Authority's report to him on the Central Railway Scheme in the Library.

John Spellar: We are considering whether and in what form to make available the SRA report, in line with our commitment to open government, bearing in mind that some of the information it contains may be commercially sensitive.

Concorde

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what checks are carried out on Concorde to ensure its structural integrity; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The structural integrity of Concorde is ensured in service by way of a phased inspection programme designed to detect potential failures. Both visual and non-destructive examination techniques, such as ultra sound scanning, are used in this process. Inspections are repeated periodically, with the frequency depending on the structural location in question. The efficacy of these inspections is continually reviewed by the UK and French airworthiness authorities in co-operation with Concorde's Anglo-French manufacturers.

Gaul Inquiry

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total legal costs to date have been of the inquiry into the sinking of the Hull trawler, Gaul; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: In 1998 the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the formal investigation into the sinking of the Gaul would be reopened. Since then the legal costs have amounted to some #600,000 to date. The reopened inquiry is due to take place in Hull next summer.

London Underground

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the original estimate supplied to his Department was of the PPP consultancy costs for London Underground.

David Jamieson: London Transport's expenditure on consultants costs has been regularly reported to the House at six-monthly intervals since 13 January 1999. London Transport could not at that stage be confident of the overall requirements or costs of external advice. An estimated outturn figure of #98 million was first reported to the House on 4 December 2001. London Transport's latest estimate of between #103 million–#105 million was reported to the House on 25 November. The increase was partly as a result of the Mayor's second unsuccessful legal challenge.

London Underground

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the NAO about the Government's decision to accept liabilities relating to tube PPP.

David Jamieson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's minute of 4 December notified Parliament of a contingent liability that London Regional Transport is intending to enter into in respect of the PPPs, and a guarantee that he in turn is intending to provide to London Regional Transport in the event that the contingent liability should materialise. No discussions have been held with NAO. However, in accordance with the guidance set out in Government accounting, Treasury were consulted before notification, and a copy of the minute was also separately sent to the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts.

Motorcycling (Emissions)

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made by his Department of the European Emission Standard Directives on motorcycling; what discussions have taken place; what representations have been received; and what steps have been taken by his Department as a result.

David Jamieson: EU directive 2002/51/EC provides for two stages of reductions in emission limit values for two and three wheeled vehicles to have effect from 2003 and 2006 together with a number of other measures designed mainly to maintain emissions performance in-service.
	The first stage reductions should contribute a small but useful reduction in carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions at a reasonable cost to manufacturers. With regard to the second stage reductions, while the Government welcome further measures for reducing motor cycle emissions, they considered that mandating a second stage of emissions reductions before its impact on the industry could be fully assessed was not in accord with the principle of better regulation, as reasserted in the Mandelkern Report and endorsed by heads of Government at the Barcelona European Council. While the UK did succeed in negotiating some relief for small manufacturers, support from other member states and the European Parliament for a review prior to any second stage implementation was not forthcoming. The Government therefore abstained from voting in the EU Environmental Council's third and final reading on this measure.
	The Department has been in contact with the UK industry throughout the negotiations and continues to do so in order to revise its regulatory impact assessment to take account of the second stage measures. The Department intends shortly to provide a copy of the regulatory impact assessment to the House scrutiny committees on European legislation. Copies will also be placed in the House Libraries.

Oil Tankers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of proposals from the International Maritime Organisation to phase out single hull tankers, following the Erika oil spill disaster; what discussions have taken place; and what steps his Department has taken to take these proposals forward.

David Jamieson: Following the loss of the tanker Erika in December 1999, the UK, jointly with Denmark and the Netherlands, took the lead in securing mandatory change to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) MARPOL Convention to accelerate the international timetable to phase out single hull oil tankers. To ensure unambiguous enforcement through Port State Control in the EU area we have also supported the EU Regulation which has imposed the IMO text in EU member states. At last week's Transport Council it was agreed to invite a proposal from the Commission to accelerate the timetable even further and to consider how the carriage of heavy oil in single hull tankers might be restricted.

Oil Tankers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken since October 2000 to (a) accelerate the phasing out of single hull oil tankers and (b) amend the MARPOL Convention; and what the outcome was.

David Jamieson: In October 2000 the Transport Council approved proposals put forward by the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands for a common approach in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to accelerate the existing international timetable for the phasing out of single hull oil tankers. In April 2001, following negotiations in which the UK played a major part, IMO reached agreement on an amending the MARPOL convention under which single hull tankers having no protection would be phased out in order of age between 2003 and 2007. Under the same agreement partially protected tankers would be phased out of EU ports in order of age between 2003 and 2015. At last week's Transport Council it was agreed to invite a proposal from the Commission to accelerate the timetable even further and to consider how the carriage of heavy oil in single hull tankers might be restricted.

Oil Tankers

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the risk of large oil spills from single hulled oil tankers in UK waters.

David Jamieson: The risks of shipping incidents and of the resulting oil spills have been modelled as part of the analysis of the environmental characteristics and pollution risks of the entire coastline. The results are reported in XIdentification of Marine Environmental High Risk Areas (MEHRA) in the UK" published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in December 1999.
	The UK has made it a high priority to reduce the risk of oil spills occurring, and to minimise the impact of any spill which does occur. We have responded positively to the large number of detailed recommendations contained in Lord Donaldson's report XSafer Ships, Cleaner Seas" (1994) and his Review of Salvage and Intervention and their Command and Control (1999). The measures which we have taken include:
	Comprehensive surveys of shipping movements;
	Implementing a range of ship routeing measures around the coast;
	Locating all-year round Emergency Towing Vessels at four points around the UK coasts;
	Supporting the mandatory carriage of transponders to allow shipping movements around our coasts to be identified and monitored;
	Creating a new function, the Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) to provide overall command and control of operations during marine emergencies;
	Updating and publishing the UK's revised XNational Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations", which clarifies the role of the relevant agencies and ensures that environmental considerations are now fully integrated with operational response procedures. This plan is compatible with the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation 1990.
	At the recent Transport Council, we agreed to invite a proposal from the Commission to accelerate the timetable for phasing out single hull tankers even further, and to consider how the carriage of heavy oil in single hull tankers might be restricted, with a view to reducing the risk of a spill from a single hull oil tanker even more.

Oil Tankers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Prestige oil tanker has docked in the UK in the last 10 years; what safety measures are in place governing entry into UK docks for oil tankers; what measures he is taking to improve safety measures on oil tankers; what plans he has to work with European partners to bring forward the date for outlawing single-hulled oil tankers; and if he will make a statement on the reduction in size of the largest oil tankers in order to improve safety.

David Jamieson: holding answer 28 November 2002
	The records which would enable the movements of this vessel to be plotted over the last 10 years are not readily available. However, records of ship movements for the last five years have been placed in the House Libraries. These record sightings of the PRESTIGE and details of its entries into port. They indicate that the PRESTIGE has called three times at UK ports (Tees in October 1998 and at Tees Bay and Tees in May 1999). The database of inspections under the port state control system does not record ship movements but does indicate that the vessel was inspected in Hull in July 1995 and has not been inspected in a UK port since then.
	The movement and manoeuvring of vessels in harbours is the responsibility of the harbour authorities.
	Since July 2002 the International Safety Management Code has applied to most vessels trading internationally. It is the international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention.
	The UK was instrumental in securing international agreement to accelerate the phasing out of single hull tankers of 20,000 tons deadweight or more. Those having no additional protection must be phased out in order of age no later than the dates in the following timetable:
	2003 for ships delivered in 1973 or earlier,
	2004 for ships delivered in 1974 and 1975,
	2005 for ships delivered in 1976 and 1977,
	2006 for ships delivered in 1978, 1979 and 1980,
	2007 for ships delivered in 1981 or later.
	Single hull tankers of 20,000 tons deadweight or more having a degree of additional protection, and all those between 5,000 to 20,000 tones deadweight, must be phased out in order of age no later than the following dates:
	2003 for ships delivered in 1973 or earlier,
	2004 for ships delivered in 1974 and 1975,
	2005 for ships delivered in 1976 and 1977,
	2006 for ships delivered in 1978 and 1979,
	2007 for ships delivered in 1980 and 1981,
	2008 for ships delivered in 1982,
	2009 for ships delivered in 1983,
	2010 for ships delivered in 1984,
	2011 for ships delivered in 1985,
	2012 for ships delivered in 1986,
	2013 for ships delivered in 1987,
	2014 for ships delivered in 1988,
	2015 for ships delivered in 1989 or later.
	Shipbuilding and shipowning are long-term commitments. Investment in the newer double hull tankers depends on the stability offered by this timetable.There is no evidence that reducing the size of oil tankers will improve safety. However, at the recent Transport Council, we agreed to invite a proposal from the Commission to accelerate the timetable for phasing out single hull tankers even further, and to consider how the carriage of heavy oil in single hull tankers might be restricted, with a view to reducing the risk of a spill from a single hull tanker even more.

Pollution Incidences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the incidences of (a) marine, (b) oil and (c) other pollution incidences recorded in United Kingdom waters in each year since 1990 from shipping registered in (i) the UK, (ii) the EU and (iii) other countries; what actions were taken to clean up in each case; what the cost was and by whom this was paid, including details of fines levied; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Information is not available in the form requested.
	The Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) produced a report entitled long-term analysis of oil spill statistics for the waters around the British Isles 1964 to 1995. For this period there was a consistent and continuing decline in the numbers of beach pollution incidents accompanied by a significant reduction in reports of crude oil and tar in the marine environment, reductions in the annual totals of tanker-source pollution and reductions in the annual total number of incidents attributed to the handling and transportation of oil around the UK coastline.
	Between 1978 and 1999 the ACOPS annual data has reported 12,746 oil pollution incidents.
	The recently published ACOPS annual survey report 2001 identified 678 accidental or deliberate polluting discharges from vessels and offshore installations operating in the UK pollution control zone. There was a downward trend identified in the annual number of oil discharges in the open sea (excluding discharges from offshore installations).
	Principal pollution incidents during the period 1990 to 2002 requiring a concentrated cleanup included the Braer in 1994 spilling 85,000 tonnes of crude oil, clean-up cost #52 million and the Sea Empress in 1996 losing 72,000 tonnes of crude oil, clean-up cost #39 million.
	Since 1995 the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has successfully prosecuted 10 ships, with an average fine of #20,000. This excludes prosecution by port authorities.

Pollution Incidences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on changes in the frequency of monitoring of pollution incidences from shipping in United Kingdom waters.

David Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) undertakes regular aerial surveillance of the UK Counter Pollution Control Zone through a contract it has with Air Atlantique. In August 2000, the contract was revised and awarded as a MCA/Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) joint contract, to provide 600 hours of programmed flying per year for the MCA to monitor pollution from shipping, and 300 hours for the DTI to monitor pollution from offshore installations. In addition to these programmed hours, the MCA has the capability to mobilise these aircraft at short notice to reports of pollution at sea.
	Although the allocated hours in the new contract did not change, it provides faster aircraft and has enhanced Side Looking Airborne Radar, which allows the aircraft to scan 20 miles either side of the aircraft, compared with 10 previously. The aircraft can typically survey 32,000 square miles in a five hour period of surveillance, compared with 14,000 square miles in the past.
	The aircraft are therefore able to respond quickly to reported incidents over a wider area, increasing the chances of identifying offending vessels and gathering evidence for use in court.
	The MCA also commissioned a satellite oil spill sensing trial to assess whether satellites could be used to improve the detection and identification of polluters. Information from this survey was used to target surveillance aircraft to potential incidents in the survey area and surveillance flights were timed to coincide with reports from satellite imaging. The MCA are presently evaluating how this trial can be developed further to enhance their monitoring capability.

PPP

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 498W, if he will place in the Library the calculations upon which his long-term grant offer is made.

David Jamieson: pursuant to his answer, 10 December 2002, Official Report, c. 210W
	A statement of how the Government intends to fund the London Underground in the long-term was annexed to the draft letters of comfort reported to Parliament by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State's Minute of 20 March 2002.

Railway Rolling Stock

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) collisions, (b) derailments and (c) SPADs involving Mark 1 passenger carriages in each of the last four years, broken down by (i) vehicle stock and (ii) train operating company.

David Jamieson: The Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate have advised that this information is not available in the form requested.

Railway Rolling Stock

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when all Mark 1 passenger carriages will be replaced, broken down by (a) vehicle stock and (b) train operating company.

David Jamieson: New vehicles to replace Mark 1 rolling stock have been ordered and are being manufactured to allow the withdrawal of all Mark 1 vehicles by the statutory deadline of 31 December 2004. However, it may not be possible to introduce all the new vehicles by this date because of scale of the power supply upgrade that is required. The industry is exploring various options—one of which includes the accelerated installation of TPWS by 31 March 2003.

Stingray Mobile Camera System

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the final cost was of the implementation of the Stingray mobile camera system, broken down by (a) purchase of equipment, (b) staffing and (c) other costs.

David Jamieson: The cost of developing and implementing the Stingray mobile camera system was some #2.2 million. This is made up of #1.4 million for purchase of equipment and IT system developments; #0.3 million staffing; and #0.5 million for other costs, including publicity.
	In its first year of operation, Stingtray generated #2.08m in fines, penalties, court costs and relicensing revenue.

Transport Projects Awards

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for which transport projects awards for funding under the European Communities Objective 1 programme have been made for the period 2000 to 2006; and how much was allocated from the (a) Government and (b) the European Community in each case.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	The table sets out the transport projects approved under the 2000–06 Objective 1 structural funds programmes in England.
	The implementation of Objective 1 in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly.
	
		
			 Region Name of transport scheme Approved for Objective 1 funding (Yes/No) Total amount of funding from Objective 1 (# million) Total amount of funding from government (# million) 
		
		
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Connecting Cornwall: project to help develop and implement transport strategy in the County Yes 0.17 0 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Newquay Cornwall Airport Business Development: to develop opportunities to invest in and improve airport facilities Yes 0.22 0 
			  
			 Merseyside Port of Liverpool—Strategic Transport Access Study (Applicant—Sefton MBC) Yes 0.18 0.02 
			 Merseyside St. Helens Eastern Approach Phase 1: Corporation Street Bridge (Applicant— St. Helens MBC) Yes 0.34 0 
			 Merseyside Axis/River Alt. Footpath (Applicant—Liverpool City Council) Yes 0.07 0.009 
			 Merseyside New Pathways Bus Links to Atlantic Gateway SIA (Applicant—Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority) Yes 0.25 0.62 
			 Merseyside Pathways Bus Links (Huyton/Prescot) (Applicant—Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority) Yes 0.94 0.48 
			 Merseyside Pathways Bus Links (Kirkby/Gillmoss) (Applicant—Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority) Yes 0.41 0.62 
			 Merseyside LTP Smart Scheme A—Stage One (Applicant—Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority) Yes 1.55 0 
			 Merseyside Bus Priority Measures One—Chalon Way Bus Gate (Applicant—St. Helens MBC) Yes 0.12 0 
			 Merseyside LTP Smart Scheme Q—incorporating St. Helens Centre (Applicant—Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority) Yes 1.10 0.3 
			 Merseyside LTP Smart Scheme E (Applicant—Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority) Yes 1.23 0 
			 Merseyside Local Initiative For Transport (LIFT) (Applicant—Liverpool City Council) Yes 0.08 0.14 
			 Merseyside Northwood Star Community Transport) (Applicant—Merseyside Community Transport) Yes 0.05 0.049 
			  
			 South Yorkshire M1 Junction 31–32 Widening Yes (Design Phase) 0.39 0.72 
			 South Yorkshire M1 Junction 32–33 Widening Yes (Design Phase) 0.42 0.78 
			 South Yorkshire M1 Junction 33 Improvements Yes (Design Phase) 0.39 0.72 
			 South Yorkshire M1 Junction 33–34 Widening Yes (Design Phase) 0.42 0.78 
			 South Yorkshire M1 Junction 36–37 Widening Yes (Design Phase) 0.70 1.30 
			 South Yorkshire M18 Junction 2–3 Widening Yes (Design Phase) 0.28 0.52 
			 South Yorkshire Halfpenny Bridge Transportation Initiative Yes (Design Phase) 0.34 0.64 
			 South Yorkshire Supertram Extension Yes (Feasibility stage) 0.09 0.16 
			 South Yorkshire Sheffield-Barnsley-Leeds Rail service—infrastructure and rolling stock imps. Yes (Feasibility stage) 0.04 0.08 
			 South Yorkshire PICASSO (two fully accessible minibuses) Yes 0.21 0.75 
			 South Yorkshire Star Line (one stop shop for access to training and employment) No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.16 0.32 
			 South Yorkshire Dunscroft Community Bus No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.23 0.23 
			 South Yorkshire Heeley Community Transport No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.06 0.06 
			 South Yorkshire North Sheffield Link Service No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.40 0.30 
			 South Yorkshire Transport for all project No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.01 0.01 
			 South Yorkshire Dearne Valley Playbus No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.16 0.16 
			 South Yorkshire Coalfields Community Transport No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.30 0.30 
			 South Yorkshire Community Transport Skillbuild No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.22 0.21 
			 South Yorkshire Sheffield East End Transport Solutions No (approved in principle, working up application) 0.18 0.18

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many court actions have taken place against offenders who have broken the terms of their antisocial behaviour order; and if he will list the range of penalties imposed.

John Denham: holding answer 9 December 2002
	The available information, relating to breaches of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) in England and Wales, covers the period 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2001 and is shown in the table. The analysis covers only those breaches by persons issued with ASBOs during this period and notified to the Home Office.
	
		Persons proceeded against for breach of anti-social behaviour orders by outcome, -- England and Wales—1 June 2000 to 31 December 2001
		
			  Number 
		
		
			  
			 Persons proceeded against 139 
			 Persons found guilty 125 
			 Persons fined 18 
			 Average fine amount (#) 116 
			   
			 Abs/Cond discharge 6 
			 Community sentence 29 
			 Persons sentenced to immediate custody 56 
			 Average sentence length (months) 5.5 
			   
			 Other disposals 16 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures cover only those proceedings relating to persons issued with ASBOs between 1 June 2000 and 31 December 2001 and notified to the Home Office.
	Persons are counted only once even if they breached the same order on more than one occasion.
	Conditional discharge is not available for breach of an ASBO under section 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; instances where a conditional discharge may have been given are being investigated.

Antisocial Behaviour

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the (a) remit, (b) composition and (c) work programme of the Home Office Anti-Social Behaviour Unit.

John Denham: holding answer 2 December 2002
	We are committed to reducing anti-social behaviour. The Anti-Social Behaviour Unit will act as a catalyst to drive the Government's cross-cutting agenda. The unit will be headed by Louise Casey. Once fully recruited, it will comprise of staff drawn from across Government and from outside organisations. It will develop strategy and focus on implementation of existing initiatives and legislation, and the preparation of the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, which was announced in the Queen's speech.

Asylum Applications

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he plans to issue to clarify the circumstances in which an in-country asylum applicant should be considered to have made their claim within a 'reasonably practicable period' for the purposes of determining whether they are entitled to support by the National Asylum Support Service; whether asylum seekers will be exempt from having to show that they have made their claim as soon as reasonably practicable if they are in-county applicants who (a) suffer from a recognised disability, (b) suffer from a serious physical, mental or psychological illness, (c) are pregnant, (d) suffer from serious trauma, (e) have been subject to human rights abuse, (f) are drug or alcohol dependent, and (g) are over the age of 60; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 10 December 2002
	Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 which comes into force on 8 January 2003, will prevent the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) from providing support unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that the person applied for asylum as soon as reasonably practicable after arrival in the United Kingdom.
	Case-workers in NASS will receive training on how this new measure should be applied. In addition guidance will also be issued to local authorities.
	I can confirm that in practice, if an applicant makes a claim immediately on arrival at the port then they will be able to access asylum support, provided they otherwise qualify. If the person fails, without good reason, to make an asylum claim immediately at the port of arrival then support will be refused.
	Families with children will, however, receive asylum support even if they did not apply as soon as reasonably practicable.
	In addition, those who claim asylum in-country following a significant change in circumstances in their country of origin (provided they make their asylum claim at the earliest possible opportunity following that change of circumstance) will be supported by NASS.
	In addition asylum seekers who successfully show that a refusal of support by NASS will result, for example, in a breach of Article 3 European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) will be granted support by NASS.
	Local authorities will continue to be able to provide support to asylum seekers under the National Assistance Act 1948 (or in Scotland the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968) but only where they are presently empowered to do so, ie where special needs have been identified so as to engage those provisions.
	Whether the particular types of case which are referred to will be eligible for support will depend on whether, on the particular facts of the case, the claim for asylum has been made as soon as reasonably practicable and, if not, whether the case falls within one of the exceptions referred to above.

Asylum Applications

Iain Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers from (a) Somalia and (b) Iraq have had their applications (i) approved and (ii) refused in each of the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: The tables show asylum applications and initial decisions and appeal outcomes for each of the last 12 months. Data on initial decisions are independent of applications data, and do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period. Appeal outcomes in any given time period do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.
	Information on asylum applications and initial decisions is published quarterly. The next publication will be available from 28 February 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Asylum applications(4) received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, and initial decisions(5) on applications, October 2001 to September 2002(6) -- Principal applicants
		
			  Somalia Iraq  
			  Applications Total decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR Total refusals Applications Total decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR Total refusals 
		
		
			 2001   
			 October 550 790 220 155 415 565 635 65 210 360 
			 November 420 805 255 170 380 595 505 70 165 265 
			 December 385 500 195 120 185 640 530 50 195 285 
			 2002   
			 January 470 695 270 185 240 730 910 85 435 390 
			 February 380 590 220 165 205 1,135 765 65 405 290 
			 March 450 445 165 120 160 975 860 65 585 210 
			 April 455 510 210 110 185 975 980 75 705 200 
			 May 550 575 205 160 205 1,335 890 65 625 200 
			 June 445 380 165 75 135 1,115 675 55 445 175 
			 July 755 530 220 120 190 1,285 1,065 65 785 215 
			 August 685 500 195 115 190 1,365 885 45 660 175 
			 September 655 715 220 150 350 1,655 1,120 40 815 265 
			 Total 6,205 7,040 2,545 1,655 2,840 12,365 9,820 755 6,030 3,035 
		
	
	(4) Figures rounded to nearest 5, with '*' = 1 or 2.
	(5) Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
	(6) Provisional data.
	
		Outcome of asylum appeals brought by nationals of Somalia and Iraq, determined by Adjudicators of the IAA, -- October 2001 to September 2002 by month(7)Principal appellants
		
			  Somalia Iraq  
			  Total Allowed Dismissed Withdrawn(8) Total Allowed Dismissed Withdrawn(8) 
		
		
			 2001 
			 October 90 15 55 20 255 60 175 25 
			 November 90 30 50 15 280 60 185 35 
			 December 100 20 65 15 230 40 165 25 
			 2002 
			 January 100 20 65 15 325 65 220 40 
			 February 130 35 80 10 390 105 255 25 
			 March 180 60 105 15 430 105 285 40 
			 April 210 75 115 25 495 135 320 40 
			 May 270 90 155 25 470 130 300 40 
			 June 260 90 130 35 320 80 210 30 
			 July 360 135 175 50 380 65 280 35 
			 August 325 140 150 30 420 90 280 45 
			 September 290 110 155 30 395 100 255 40 
			 Total 2,405 810 1,305 285 4,390 1,035 2,940 420 
		
	
	(7) Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5. Appeals do not necessarily relate to initial Home Office decisions in the same month.
	(8) Figures include cases withdrawn by the Home Office as well as the appellant.

Asylum Seekers

Iain Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers from Somalia have been deported in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The latest available data for removals of Somali nationals who have sought asylum at some stage are for the 12 months to June 2002 and are given in the table.
	
		Removal of Somali nationals(9),(10) 
		
			 Month Number 
		
		
			 July 2001 5 
			 August 2001 0 
			 September 2001 (9)— 
			 October 2001 (9)— 
			 November 2001 (9)— 
			 December 2001 (9)— 
			 January 2002 5 
			 February 2002 (9)— 
			 March 2002 5 
			 April 2002 10 
			 May 2002 5 
			 June 2002 (9)— 
		
	
	(9) Figures are rounded to nearest five with — denoting 1 or 2.
	Notes:
	1. Estimates of asylum removals by nationality—principal applicants removed only. Includes persons departing 'voluntarily' after the initiation of enforcement action against them, and persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Returns Programmes run by the International Organization for Migration.
	2. Removal is not necessarily to country of origin.
	Data on removals by nationality in the period July to September 2002 are due to be published at the end of February 2003 on the Home Office web-site: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html.

Asylum Seekers

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it has taken on average since 1997 for the successful asylum seeker to receive his or her official status letter, once indefinite leave to remain has been granted; what is the longest time any successful asylum seeker has had to wait for his or her official status letter since 1997; what the target time is for official status letters to be sent out; and if the average wait for such documents is decreasing.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the processing times for individual types of application is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained by scrutiny of individual case files, at disproportionate cost. Official status letters are normally sent out without delay following the decision to grant asylum, except where the asylum claimant is no longer in contact with the Home Office.

Asylum Seekers

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the prison service is holding asylum seekers in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Our policy on the detention of asylum seekers in prison accommodation was set out in our White Paper XSecure Borders, Safe Haven—Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain". We made it clear that, although the routine use of prison accommodation for immigration detainees had ended, there would remain a need to hold small numbers of individuals, including individuals who may have sought asylum at some stage, in prison for reasons of security and control. There has been no change in that policy.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 27 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Winston Frank Tracey;
	(2)  when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 27 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Winston Frank Tracey;
	(3)  when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 27 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Winston Frank Tracey.

Beverley Hughes: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 10 December 2002.

Correspondence

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will answer the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East's letter of 26 May, about Mr. Ahmed, reference A1031630; and if he will make a statement on the volume of correspondence received by his Department.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 5 December 2002
	I wrote to the hon. Member on 10 December 2002. I am sorry for the delay in replying.
	The Home Department receives large amounts of correspondence from hon. Members, right hon. Friends, hon. Friends and members of the public.
	The number of letters received from members of the public between April 2002 and the end of October 2002 was 26,460. The volume in the previous full financial year 2001–02 was 35,549. Public volume figures exclude letters relating to immigration and nationality matters.
	In addition the number of replies sent to ministerial correspondence between April 2002 and the end of October 2002 was 12,110. The total volume for the previous full financial year 2001–02 was 21,099.
	We aim to send a substantive reply to all letters as soon as possible. I am determined to achieve a high level of performance in dealing quickly with correspondence and to deliver a greater standard of service to all Members of Parliament and the public.

Criminal Records Bureau

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he anticipates the Criminal Records Bureau will reach its performance targets for processing applications.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 9 December 2002
	The Home Secretary's independent review team is in the process of examining all aspects of the Criminal Records Bureau's (CRB's) operation with a view to identifying medium to long term improvements, which will include service standards. They will report to the Home Secretary shortly, their recommendations will then be elaborated and implemented in the course of 2003.
	The Criminal Records Bureau has implemented a range of improvements to processes and working practices and the intensive focus on improvements is already yielding results. The current average turnaround time for processing correctly completed disclosure applications is now five weeks. Over the last two weeks the CRB has been averaging around 43,500 Disclosures per week, which is over double the weekly output issued by the police under the previous arrangements. Since 11 March the CRB has received 1,023,000 applications and issued over 755,000 disclosures.

Immigration

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those presenting themselves at each port of entry were seeking to reside in Britain in each of the past 10 years.

Beverley Hughes: The information available is on passengers (excluding EEA nationals) admitted to the United Kingdom, rather than on those presenting themselves at ports. A very small proportion of those admitted are granted settlement (permanent residency) on arrival and they are clearly seeking to reside in the UK. However, the vast majority of non-visitors are given limited leave to remain for periods of up to between one and five years. It is difficult to know at the port of entry how many of these will ultimately seek to settle in the UK as once in country, subject to immigration rules, they may extend their leave to remain and subsequently apply for settlement.
	The table shows the total number of persons admitted to the UK, excluding EEA nationals, over the last 10 years. It also shows the numbers admitted in categories that might eventually lead to settlement.
	Corresponding information on admissions at each of the ports of entry (of which there are more than 40) in each of the past 10 years is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		Passengers given leave to enter the UK, excluding EEA nationals(10), 1992–2001 -- Number of journeys
		
			 Passengers admitted in categories which might lead to settlement  
			 Year Total admissions Granted settlement on arrival(11) Work permit holders and their dependants UK ancestry Spouses and fiancé(e)s Others given leave to enter(12) 
		
		
			  
			 1992 9,160,000 5,320 51,140 4,645 20,740 57,200 
			 1993 9,840,000 3,620 48,000 4,075 19,220 54,500 
			 1994 9,180,000 2,610 47,500 5,170 18,760 44,900 
			 1995 9,620,000 2,400 52,100 6,625 19,110 43,800 
			 1996 10,300,000 2,120 58,200 7,420 20,950 45,100 
			 1997 10,900,000 2,350 62,975 8,350 26,385 49,400 
			 1998 11,500,000 2,900 68,385 10,220 32,165 50,400 
			 1999 12,000,000 2,530 76,180 11,785 30,250 55,400 
			 2000 13,000,000 2,290 92,045 10,930 32,970 54,100 
			 2001 12,800,000 2,820 108,825 10,635 29,100 78,300 
		
	
	(10) EEA nationals are free to enter and to remain in the UK without requiring leave to do so.
	(11) Excludes asylum related cases given indefinite leave to enter; these are included in 'Others given leave to enter'.
	(12) Includes: common law spouses; children given leave as dependants of settled parents; investors; retired persons of independent means; same sex partners admitted for a probationary year; dependants of persons granted admission through UK ancestry; persons who have applied for asylum at ports (and their accompanying dependants) and who have been granted asylum or exceptional leave, and are hence given leave to enter; and others.
	Notes:
	1. The data given are of the number of journeys made: a person who makes more than one journey is counted on each occasion, either in a specific category if given fresh leave to enter or as passengers returning.
	2. Data rounded to the nearest five or three significant figures.

Female Prisoners

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of female prisoners have been prescribed mental health drugs in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: This information is not available in precisely the form requested. A survey of mental ill health in the prison population of England and Wales, undertaken in 1997 by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showed that 22 per cent. of women prisoners were taking anti-depressant, 16 per cent. hypnotic and anxiolytic and 10 per cent. anti-psychotic medication.

Female Prisoners

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicide attempts there have been among female prisoners in each of the last five years; and how many suicides there have been by female prisoners since July.

Hilary Benn: Since July 2002, there have been six self-inflicted deaths of female prisoners (all those deaths where it appears the person may have acted specifically to take her own life). The available data on 'self-harm' incidents includes both attempted suicides and self-harm (without suicidal intent, which is included as it is difficult to measure suicidal intent). The table covers the 4,933 recorded incidents of self-harm by female prisoners between 1998 and 30 September 2002.
	
		Table showing the number of self-harm incidents for female prisoners in England and Wales between 1 January 1998 and 30 September 2002
		
			 Calendar Year Number of self-harm incidents 
		
		
			 1998 211 
			 1999 505 
			 2000 933 
			 2001 2,034 
			 2002 1,250 
			 Total 4,933 
		
	
	The Prison Service has a duty of care to all prisoners in its custody, and recognises that self-harm is a particular problem among women offenders. The Prison Service is currently developing several interventions that may help female prisoners reduce and manage self-harm in prison. One such example is at Holloway prison, where all prisoners who have been identified as at risk of suicide/self-harm are offered individual crisis counselling. About 40 per cent of prisoners take up the offer, while others may be referred to alternative sources of help within the prison. Staff report that following counselling women have shown increases in self-esteem, decreases in depression and are less likely to see suicide or self-harm as the solution to their problems.

Prisons

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the measures contained in the Queen's Speech on prison occupation in England and Wales.

Hilary Benn: The Queen's Speech outlined a commitment to reform the criminal justice system to deliver justice for all and to safeguard the interests of victims, witnesses and communities, and the Criminal Justice Bill which was laid before the House on 21 November.
	I have already announced that the Review of Correctional Services is addressing a wide range of questions regarding the effectiveness and value for money delivered by the correctional services and developing a strategy for managing the prison population. The impact of the proposals contained in the Queen's Speech are being considered in the context of the Review.
	We have not made final decisions about the implementation of the sentencing reforms in the Criminal Justice Bill but, on the basis of the modelling which has been done of the impact of the sentencing reforms, we do not expect them to generate significant increases in the prison population. The sentencing reforms should result in a small reduction in places in 2004 and 2005 followed by a modest increase of up to 1,000 places thereafter.

Prisons (Children's Act)

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the introduction of the Children's Act 1989 into prisons following the High Court ruling on 29 November; and what extra resources his Department will make available to the Prison Service to ensure its implementation.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 9 December 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Dorset and North Poole (Mrs. Brooke) on 9 December 2002, Official Report, column 128W.

Rape

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what follow-up is planned to the Action Plan to implement the recommendations of the HMCPS/IHMIC joint investigation into the investigation and prosecution of cases involving allegations of rape.

John Denham: An inter-agency working group, led by the Home Office and with representation from the police, Crown Prosecution Service and Court Service, is monitoring progress against the agreed action points of the plan. Alongside this, the group is considering the issue of evaluation, in order to assess the impact of the action plan once completed, and to identify any necessary follow-up. The group is also looking at the issue of dissemination of this information. I will report further to Parliament in the New Year.

Shoplifting

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were imprisoned for shoplifting offences in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: The number of men and women sentenced to immediate imprisonment in prisons in England and Wales for shoplifting is given in the table.
	
		Number of persons sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting)—England and Wales 1996 to 2000(13)
		
			  Sentenced to immediate custody  
			 Statue/Offence description 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000(14) 
		
		
			 Theft Act 1968, section 1— Stealing from shops and stalls (Shoplifting)  
			 Males 4,334 5,908 7,874 9,863 11,678 
			 Females 907 1,289 1,687 2,065 2,348 
		
	
	(13) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(14) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to supply a sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Estimates based on this sample are included in the figures, as they are considered sufficiently robust at this high level of analysis.

Young Offenders

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) 15-year-olds and (b) 16-year-olds were remanded in prison in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: Information on the number of 15 and 16-year-old males received into prison on remand from 1997–2001 is given in the table.
	
		
			 Year Number of 15-year-olds Number of 16-year-olds 
		
		
			 1997 689 1,354 
			 1998 625 1,217 
			 1999 530 1,182 
			 2000 526 1,045 
			 2001 (P) 477 1,001 
		
	
	15 and 16-year-old females cannot be received into prison on remand.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been held in prisons outside the juvenile estate in each of the last twelve months; and in which prisons.

Hilary Benn: Information on the number of under-18s held in prisons outside the juvenile estate is given in the table.
	The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is responsible for the placement of under-18s remanded or sentenced to custody. It is sometimes necessary for them to be placed outside the juvenile estate, and this is particularly so where girls are concerned. The number of girls in Prison Service custody is too low for them to be accommodated in juvenile-only accommodation whilst at the same time maintaining proximity to home and providing an appropriate level of educational and recreational services. The Board nevertheless seeks to avoid mixing as far as possible and is supporting the development of under-18 wings within larger women-only establishments.
	Occasionally, juveniles are held outside the juvenile estate for the duration of their trial if their case is being heard in a Crown Court without any conveniently located juvenile establishment. In such circumstances, they are held on young offender wings, ie with 18 to 20-year-olds rather than with adults as such. Even more exceptionally, a juvenile may be categorised as Category A and be accommodated in a high security establishment.
	
		Under-18s held in prisons outside the juvenile estate
		
			  Number Prisons held in 
		
		
			 2001   
			 December 8 Chelmsford, Glen Parva, Northallerton, Reading, Holloway 
			
			 2002   
			 January 21 Glen Parva, Norwich, Reading, Holloway, Styal 
			 February 19 Chelmsford, Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway, Low Newton, Styal 
			 March 31 Chelmsford, Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway, Styal 
			 April 17 Chelmsford, Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway, Low Newton 
			 May 11 Glen Parva, Holloway, Styal 
			 June 12 Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway 
			 July 13 Glen Parva, Reading, Holloway, Low Newton, Styal 
			 August 11 Glen Parva, Holloway, Low Newton, Styal 
			 September 8 Holloway, Low Newton, Styal 
			 October 15 Holloway, Low Newton, Styal 
			 November 12 Highdown, Holloway, Styal

Youth Courts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youth courts there are in England and Wales; and what jurisdictions they cover.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 9 December 2002
	In England and Wales, there are about 220 youth courts spread across all 42 criminal justice areas.
	Youth courts have jurisdiction to deal with summary only, triable either way and indictable only offences. Nearly all criminal proceedings brought against a child or young person are dealt with in a youth court. The main exceptions are:
	(a) homicide;
	(b) the juvenile is charged jointly with an adult and it is in the interests of justice that they be tried together;
	(c) the juvenile is charged with a grave crime and the youth court considers that the greater sentencing powers of the Crown Court ought to be available.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Members' Salaries

Ann Clwyd: To ask the President of the Council by what percentage hon. Members' salaries have increased in each year since 1997.

Robin Cook: The increases in hon. Members' salaries since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			 Year Salaries (#) Percentage change 
		
		
			 April 1997 43,860 2 
			 April 1998 45,066 3 
			 April 1999 47,008 4 
			 April 2000 48,371 3 
			 April 2001 49,822 3 
			 June 2001(15) 51,822 4 
			 April 2002(15) 55,118 6 
		
	
	(15) In June 2001 and April 2002 Members' pay was increased by #2,000 per year. These increases, which were recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body, were in addition to the increases delivered via the normal uprating mechanism.
	Further details are in the House of Commons Information Office's Factsheet M5 XMembers' Pay, Pensions and Allowances" available on the Parliament website www.Parliament.uk.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Pecheney Plant Redundancies

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support he will provide for redundant workers at the Pecheney plant in Workington constituency.

Nick Brown: Jobcentre Plus offers assistance to help companies handle any significant reduction in staffing they may have to make, and help to those employees who are affected in identifying alternative jobs or any training they require.
	In the case of Pecheney Aviatube, Jobcentre Plus has already agreed to give those employees being made redundant immediate access to its employment and training programmes. In addition to this, the West Cumbria support group, which includes Jobcentre Plus, will attend the premises of Pecheney on 5 and 6 December to provide further support and guidance to the workforce.

Benefit Applications (Signing)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will provide funding to allow existing Jobcentre Plus staff to receive British Sign Language training; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what improvements the Government intends making to the availability of British Sign Language interpreters at (a) Jobcentre Plus offices and (b) other Government offices; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on the availability of British Sign Language interpreters at (a) Jobcentre plus offices and (b) other Government offices; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will set up full time mobile British Sign Language interpreter posts to cover offices in rural areas and to assist in benefit application procedures in their home where necessary; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: Both Jobcentre Plus and The Pensions Service are committed to providing a British Sign Language interpreter for anyone who requires one to carry out their business with us. Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentre Plus offices can also take up British Sign Language training.
	Interpreters can be arranged both for office appointments and for home visits, for example in rural areas. Interviews and home visits using a British Sign Language interpreter are arranged as soon as a suitable interpreter is available. Similar arrangements are available at other Government offices.
	We are continuously examining possible service improvements and Jobcentre Plus is currently in discussion with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf about improving further the service available to deaf customers.

Child Support Agency

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the new CSA IT system to be fully tested; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Mr. Duncan) on 27 November 2002, Official Report, column 317W.

Action Teams for Jobs

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unemployed people have received support through the Action Teams for Jobs initiative; how many found work as a consequence of the initiative; and if he will make a statement on the sustainability of such employment.

Nick Brown: holding answer 9 December 2002
	Action Teams for Jobs are having a positive impact on the lives of disadvantaged people in the most employment deprived areas of the country. Up to the end of October 2002, Action Teams had engaged with 130,160 eligible jobless people and helped 53,010 of them into work.
	Our research 1 has shown that 80 per cent. of people who found jobs through Action Teams moved into sustained jobs (i.e. lasting more than 13 weeks).
	1 Source: XEvaluation of Action Teams for Jobs", Employment Service (April 2002).

Action Teams for Jobs

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budgets were for each Employment Action Team in the last five years; and what the outturn expenditure was to April.

Nick Brown: holding answer 26 November 2002
	Action Teams for Jobs were launched in October 2000 and have so far helped over 50,000 people into work. Forty teams were in operation in the first, pilot year. In 2001, the initiative was expanded and the number of Teams increased to 63.
	Information on the total budget and spend for the initiative in the last two financial years (April to March) is in the table.
	
		# million 
		
			 Year Total budget Total spend 
		
		
			 2000–01 20 10 
			 2001–02 50 60 
		
	
	Notes:
	All figures are rounded to the nearest #10 million. All figures include the cost of administering the Action Team initiative. The 2001–02 spend figure is forecast expenditure.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus
	Information on the budgets for each Action Team has been placed in the Library, and is available on the Action Teams website, www.dwp.gov.uk/actionteams.
	Information on the out-turn of individual Jobcentre Plus led Action Teams is not separately available. Out-turn figures for the contractor led Teams cannot be published because they are commercially confidential.

Employment Service

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what were the results of the discussions in January with the Cabinet Office and the NHS Executive about the advertisement of vacancies on the Employment Service website; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding answer 9 December 2002
	Jobcentre Plus maintains a continuous dialogue with the Department of Health through regular meetings of the Joint Service Development Group. Discussions about the most cost-effective way of establishing an NHS-wide e-recruitment service on the internet, and how that might be linked to and supported by the Jobcentre Plus website, are continuing. The Department of Health is currently assessing responses from potential suppliers to an invitation to tender for this work.
	Officials in Jobcentre Plus and the Cabinet Office are working together to improve existing internet-based services for recruitment to the Civil Service. That work is currently focused on identifying the resources needed to do the development work and on identifying an appropriate opportunity in the current programme of improvements to the Jobcentre Plus website to implement the changes required.

Employment Zones

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are involved in (a) stage 1 and (b) stage 2 of the Employment Zone scheme in each of the Employment Zone areas.

Nick Brown: holding answer 9 December 2002
	The information is in the table.
	
		
			   Number of current participants (at 30 September 2002)  
		
		
			 Employment Zone Step 1 Step 2 
			 Birmingham 1,267 1,512 
			 Brent 352 442 
			 Brighton and Hove 271 288 
			 Doncaster and Bassetlaw 505 597 
			 Glasgow 923 782 
			 Haringey 805 753 
			 Liverpool and Sefton 1,300 1,280 
			 Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland 405 411 
			 Newham 464 565 
			 North West Wales 239 542 
			 Nottingham 192 238 
			 Plymouth 217 294 
			 Southwark 441 841 
			 Tower Hamlets 285 421 
			 Heads of the Valleys, Caerphilly and Torfaen 241 284 
			 Total 7,907 9,250 
		
	
	Note:
	Employment Zones vary in size and coverage.
	Source:
	Employment Zone Management Information.

Health and Safety (Work Place)

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of failures in health and safety in the workplace in each year since 1997.

Nick Brown: The overall cost to the British economy of all workplace injuries and work-related ill health in the most recent year for which detailed information is available (year 1995–96) is estimated to be between #2.9 billion and #4.2 billion. When the costs of avoidable non-injury safety failures are included, the cost rises to between #4.4—#8.6 billion.
	The total costs in 1995–96 to society as a whole, including our estimates for the loss of welfare resulting from pain, grief and suffering of individual victims and their families, is estimated to be between #14.5 billion—#18.1 billion.

Health and Safety (Work Place)

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was to the Exchequer of workplace accidents and illnesses in each year since 1995–96.

Nick Brown: .The overall cost to the British economy of all workplace injuries and work-related ill health in the most recent year for which detailed information is available (year 1995/96) is estimated to be between #2.9 billion and #4.2 billion. When the costs of avoidable non-injury safety failures are included, the cost rises to between #4.4 to #8.6 billion.

Health and Safety Executive

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many health and safety executive staff are pursuing cases against the executive on equal pay grounds.

Nick Brown: HSE currently has three cases—two are for individual members of staff and the other is for a group of three staff.

Health and Safety Executive

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many HSE staff are suffering from (a) stress and (b) RSI; and what estimate has been made of the cost of meeting claims by staff in future years.

Nick Brown: In 2001–02, there were 198 members of HSE staff that recorded stress or depressive disorder as the cause of the absence. This resulted in 6,522 days absence from work. Included in this number are 11 cases that reported the cause of stress as work related through the internal HSE ill health reporting system.
	In 2001–02, three cases of work related upper limb disorder were reported by HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
	HSE has not made an estimate of the cost of meeting claims in future years.

Health and Safety Legislation (Breaches)

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the Crown censures which have been issued in respect of breaches of health and safety legislation in the last five years.

Nick Brown: holding answer 3 December 2002
	The Crown censures issued by the Health and Safety Executive during the period 1997–2002 are as follows:
	1. MOD Army (TA), Northampton Balloon Fair—April 1997;
	2. Home Office, Fire Service College, Moreton in Marsh—July 1997;
	3. MOD Royal Hospital Haslar, Gosport—November 1997;
	4. Prison Service Agency, HM Young Offenders Institution Portland—February 1998;
	5. MOD Defence Testing and Evaluation Organisation (DTEO), Shoeburyness—May 1998;
	6. Court Services—December 1998;
	7. MAFF Central Science Laboratory, Weybridge—April 1999;
	8. MOD Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO), Warminster—February 1999;
	9. MAFF Central Veterinary Laboratory—February 1999;
	10. MOD Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), Porton Down—May 1999;
	11. MOD Central Ammunition Depot, Longtown—October 1999;
	12. MOD Army, Army Cadet Force, Longmoor Camp—July 2000;
	13. MOD Navy, HMS Raleigh—November 2000;
	14. Prison Service Agency, HMP Bristol—July 2001;
	15. MOD Army, Sennybridge Training Area—August 2001; and
	16. Royal Mint, Cardiff—September 2002.
	A censure is a term given to the formal recording of a decision by HSE that, but for Crown immunity, the evidence of a Crown body's failure to comply with health and safety law would have been sufficient to provide a realistic prospect of conviction in the courts.

Jobcentre Plus

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will list, by region, incidents of assault in Benefits Agency, Employment Service and Jobcentre Plus offices for 2002;
	(2)  if he will list by office, incidents of assaults on staff using the Home Office British Crime Survey definition, which have occurred in Jobcentre Plus Pathfinder offices in the year to 22nd October.

Nick Brown: The Home Office British Crime Survey definitions are set out in legislation and are based on victims' perceptions of an incident. Jobcentre Plus does not use these definitions. Instead, assaults are categorised by what happened in the incident, as follows:
	
		
			 Incident  
		
		
			 Actual Assault Physical contact has been made 
			 Attempted Assault An attempt has been made to touch a member of staff but this was unsuccessful 
			 Verbal Assault Threats of verbal abuse 
			 Other No member of staff has been involved, for example, an assault by one client on another, or property was damaged. 
		
	
	The available information on incidents of assault has been placed in the Library.

Jobcentre Plus

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answers of 27 November, Refs 82508, 82511 and 82513, if he will place in the Library the written information about job entry and additional points scores and priorities sent to Jobcentre Plus managers and staff; and if he will list the key stakeholders who were consulted in respect of the selection of the local authority areas attracting additional points scores.

Nick Brown: holding answer 4 December 2002
	Managers and staff were informed about job entry and additional point scores and priorities in Jobcentre Plus Targets 2002–03 Achieving the Best: A Handbook for Staff, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	Details of the key stakeholders consulted on the criteria for selecting the local authority areas attracting additional point scores have been placed in the Library.

New Deal

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people have taken up a place on the Environmental Task Force option of the New Deal to date; what has been the (a) total and (b) annual cost of the option to date; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding answer 2 December 2002
	The Environment Task Force option of the New Deal is successfully improving the employability of young people through work experience and training. Up to the end of September 2002, 62,800 young people had participated in the option, many of whom faced significant disadvantages in the labour market. This year we have further improved the option by introducing work placements with private sector employers and enhancing jobsearch help. All Environment Task Force projects seek to improve the local environment and are well received.
	The available information on the annual and total expenditure by the Department on the option is in the table.
	
		# million 
		
			  Expenditure on the Environment Task Force  
		
		
			 1998–99 15 
			 1999–2000 43 
			 2000–01 43 
			 Total 101 
		
	
	Note:
	Information for 2001–02 is not yet available.
	Source: Jobcentre Plus Finance.

New Deal

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of persons on the New Deal have left the New Deal and returned to benefits in each year since its establishment.

Nick Brown: holding answer 9 December 2002
	The number of leavers from the New Deals for Young People, 25 Plus and Lone Parents who remain on benefits is published in the respective quarterly Statistical First Releases, copies of which are available in the Library.
	Evaluation of the New Deal programmes includes work looking at how many participants return to benefits and how many remain in work over the longer term. Evaluation reports are placed in the Library as they are published.

New Deal

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information is available in the New Deal Evaluation Database; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding answer 9 December 2002
	The New Deal Evaluation Database contains information on the characteristics (e.g. gender, age, ethnic group) of participants on the New Deal programme, together with details of their activity while on the programme. Full details can be found in an article entitled XNew Deal Statistics and the New Deal Evaluation Database" in the April 1999 edition of Labour Market Trends, a copy of which is available in the Library.

New Deal

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of (a) subsidised and (b) unsubsidised sustained employment starts under the New Deal have been in the construction industry in each month since the establishment of the New Deal; and if he will make a statement about the impact of the New Deal on employment in the construction industry.

Nick Brown: holding answer 26 November 2002
	We estimate that since April 1998 around 9 per cent. (6,800) of subsidised employment starts in the New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus have been in the construction industry. However, the underlying data are not sufficiently robust for a realistic monthly breakdown to be given. Subsidised employment is not an option in the other New Deals.
	Information on the industry sector of unsubsidised sustained employment starts obtained through the New Deal is not routinely collected.
	In addition to filling construction industry jobs through the New Deal, we have introduced Ambition: Construction, an employer-led initiative which is designed to help unemployed and disadvantaged people gain the specific skills which construction employers require. Ambition: Construction aims to deliver sustainable employment and an NVQ Level 2 qualification in one of the construction trades to 1,000 New Deal participants. Pilot programmes are now running in West London, West Yorkshire, Nottingham, the North West and Coventry.

New Deal

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evaluation has been made of the New Deal for Disabled People; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding answer 9 December 2002
	New Deal for Disabled People is the first national programme designed specifically to support people with health conditions and disabilities move into and keep jobs. Since the national extension of the programme began, it has helped over 6,000 people into jobs and almost 28,000 have registered with Job Brokers to actively pursue employment.
	Comprehensive evaluation is under way to measure the effectiveness of the programme. This will include qualitative and quantitative research with all key stakeholders. We will be publishing reports on different elements of the evaluation as they become available from early in the new year.

Non-working People

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the numbers of people of working age who are able and willing to work, but are neither working, nor registered as seeking work or as claimants.

Nick Brown: According to the Labour Force Survey for Summer 2002, there were 586,000 people who were economically inactive, had not been seeking work and were not registered as unemployed, but said they wanted to work and would be able to take up a job if one were offered in the next two weeks.
	Source:
	The Office for National Statistics' Labour Force Survey.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) residential care and (b) nursing care receive the #100 winter fuel allowance.

Ian McCartney: The information is not available in the format requested. However, such information as is available shows that some 148,000 people living in various types of care home, have so far this year received winter fuel payment of #100 each.
	Source:
	GMS Matching Data.

PRIME MINISTER

Bali Bombing Report

Kevin Hughes: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to lay the Intelligence and Security Committee's report into the terrorist bombings on Bali.

Tony Blair: I am today laying before the House the Intelligence and Security Committee report of their inquiry into the intelligence, assessments and advice prior to the terrorist bombings on Bali on 12 October 2002. Copies will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Engagements

Robert Walter: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 11 December.

Tony Blair: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I will have further such meetings later today.

Euro

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to acquaint the public of the pros and cons of the euro; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what timetable he plans for a euro referendum, should the Government conclude in June that the five economic tests have been met.

Tony Blair: A comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the five tests will be made within two years of the start of this Parliament. Once the assessment is complete, it will be published and will be subject to intensive public scrutiny and debate.

Gibraltar

Richard Spring: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had with the Prime Minister of Spain concerning Gibraltar at the NATO summit in Prague; what was agreed there on the future of the Brussels process; when he expects the next meeting in the Brussels process to occur; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I had informal discussions at Prague with Prime Minister Aznar on a number of issues. We agreed on the need to continue the search for a more stable and prosperous future for Gibraltar. No date has yet been set for a further meeting under the Brussels process.

India

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the Leader of the Congress party of India.

Tony Blair: I have not yet met Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, but hope to do so soon.

Landfill Tax Credit

James Gray: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 4 December, Official Report, column 903, which community schemes near his constituency have benefited from the landfill tax credit.

Tony Blair: holding answer 10 December 2002
	I understand environmental bodies within County Durham have invested in around 50 on-going or completed environmental projects as a result of the landfill tax credit scheme.

Peter Foster

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will ask the Cabinet Secretary to conduct an inquiry into the extent of the (a) propriety, (b) completeness and (c) accuracy of (i) attributable and (ii) non-attributable briefings given to the media in relation to information about Peter Foster provided by (A) permanent civil servants, (B) temporary civil servants and (C) others in his office on behalf of the Government and its members.

Tony Blair: No. All contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and Guidance on the Work of the Government Information Service.

Social Chapter

Angela Browning: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 4 December to the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk, Official Report, column 898, which areas of social policy have been influenced by signing the social chapter which would not have been had the UK not signed it.

Tony Blair: holding answer 10 December 2002
	The Government are determined to tackle unemployment and social exclusion both at home and throughout the European Union. Signing the social chapter has allowed us to influence the broad direction of EU social policy, and to ensure that employment creation has been put at the heart of the Lisbon agenda for economic reform. Since 1997, over 10 million new jobs have been created in the EU, 6 million of which have been taken up by women, and the number of unemployed has fallen by over 4 million. This has provided a route out of social exclusion for many millions of European citizens.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Cleveland Magistrates Court

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what grants have been given to the Cleveland Magistrates Court Service in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The Lord Chancellor's Department provides separate grants for revenue and capital (buildings and IT) to local authorities for magistrates courts costs. Grant is paid at 80 per cent. of expenditure, with the remaining 20 per cent. met by local authorities.
	The total budget for magistrates courts in Cleveland by financial year (in 100 per cent. terms) is:
	
		# million 
		
			  Revenue Building IT Total grant 
		
		
			 1998–99 3.92 (16)— 0.12 4.04 
			 1999–2000 3.77 0.34 0.16 4.27 
			 2000–01 4.33 0.32 0.06 4.71 
			 2001–02 5.26 0.43 0.09 5.78 
			 2002–03 4.86 1.41 0.07 6.34 
		
	
	(16) Figures for building capital not available

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many hours training judges receive on domestic violence (a) per year and (b) during the course of their term.

Rosie Winterton: Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) which is an independent body. It is chaired by Lord Justice Waller.
	All newly appointed part-time judges are required to attend a residential induction course before they sit judicially. In addition all judges authorised by the Lord Chancellor on the strength of their experience and ability, to exercise an additional jurisdiction such as family law, are required to attend a further residential induction course before they start to exercise the relevant jurisdiction.
	Thereafter, both full and part-time judges attend residential continuation seminars every three years in each jurisdiction they are authorised to exercise (i.e. criminal law, civil law and family law). The amount of training time provided on domestic violence in JSB courses and seminars is shown in the table. The number of hours training received by any individual judge will depend upon the number of jurisdictions they are authorised to exercise.
	In addition, all full and part-time judges sitting in the Crown court attend an annual one-day circuit seminar on sentencing issues, for which the theme last year was domestic violence. This provided, on average, up to five hours of additional training on this subject in 2000–01.
	The term of appointment of an individual judge varies according to their age on appointment and their age of retirement, as determined by the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act (1993). It is therefore not possible to determine how many hours training on domestic violence in total a judge may receive during his or her term of office.
	
		Time provided on training for judges in relation to domestic violence
		
			 Course-seminar Lecture Group discussion 
		
		
			 Criminal Induction  Sentencing exercise (15 mins.) 
			 Criminal Continuation  Sentencing exercise (15 mins.) 
			 Civil Induction Domestic violence (15 mins.)  
			 Civil Induction Committals (15 mins.)  
			 Civil Continuation Judicial responses to violence in the home (45 mins.) Syndicate exercises (45 mins.) 
			 Induction course for district judges authorised under Section 8 Children Act 1989 Emergency applications (45 mins.) Current issues in contact (30 mins.) Psychiatric overview of contact (45 mins.) Making contact work/The National Association of Child Contact Centres (60 mins.) Syndicate exercises (45 mins.) 
			 Seminar for potential care judges Proof of fact in physical/sexual abuse (15 mins.)  
			 Nominated care district judges induction and continuation Making the best of a contact centre (30 mins.)  
			 Induction (private family law) Proof of fact in physical/sexual abuse cases (15 mins.) Applications for contact (4 hours). This comprises a talk by a circuit judge with particular reference to the decision by the Court of Appeal in the case of Re LVMH, the report by Drs. Sturge and Glaser and the guidelines produced by the advisory board on family law. A talk by a child psychiatrist and a plenary discussion exclusion orders and non-molestation orders (40 mins.) Syndicate discussion (1 hour 30 mins.) 
			 Continuation (private family law) Split trials in domestic violence cases (15 mins.) Psychiatric perspective of children with a violent parent (45 mins.) Injunctions and committals (1 hour) Syndicate discussion (1 hour 30 mins.) 
		
	
	The seminars for care district judges include sessions, which cover domestic violence. Dr. Dare speaks on the effects upon a child witnessing violence between parents.
	The Family Law Act seminars deal with orders made under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996.

James Shepherd

Paul Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Office of Public Guardianship intends to release court documents to the family of James Shepherd.

Rosie Winterton: The PGO has now, at the direction of the Court of Protection, released copies of all documents requested to date.

Speed Cameras (Cleveland)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) trials and (b) convictions based on speed camera evidence have taken place in the Cleveland Magistrates Court Service since the speed cameras initiative was begun in 2000.

Yvette Cooper: Neither my Department nor magistrates' courts record statistics on trials and convictions relating to speed (safety) cameras. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

HEALTH

Admission Procedures

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes his Department has made to admission procedures to accident and emergency departments since 1997 through (a) statutory instrument and (b) changes to departmental guidance given to hospitals.

David Lammy: Since 1997, there have been no changes made to admission procedures to accident and emergency departments through statutory instrument.
	The Department has issued guidance on admission procedures to accident and emergency departments in the following documents:
	Health Service Circular 1999/239: XFinal Preparations for the Winter and Millennium Holiday including Incident Reporting and Millennium Operating Regimes for the Year 2000 Problem".
	Health Service Circular/Local Authority Circular HSC 2000/016—LAC 2000/14: XWinter 2000/01: Capacity Planning for Health and Social Care".
	Health Service Circular/Local Authority Circular HSC 2001/014—LAC (2001)17: X2001/2002: Arrangements for Whole System Capacity Planning".
	Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library.

Ambulance Staff

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change in the amount of time spent by ambulance crews in accident and emergency departments as a result of the requirement to hand over patient records personally to a member of the hospital staff.

David Lammy: There is no absolute requirement for ambulance crews to hand over patient records personally to a member of hospital staff.
	It is considered good practice for ambulance crews to provide information to nursing or medical staff when handing over a patient. While this does add to the time that the ambulance crew spend at hospital it is vital to patient safety and there is no reason why it should cause significant delays.

Area Child Protection Committees

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to put area child protection committees on a statutory footing.

Jacqui Smith: The joint chief inspectors' report, XSafeguarding Children", published on 14 October 2002, contains a recommendation that the Department should review the current arrangements for area child protection committees, to determine whether they should be established on a statutory basis to ensure adequate accountability, authority and funding.
	The Government have welcomed the publication of this report. The Government recognise that there is still more to be done to ensure that the high standards of child protection are applied in every case. That is why they commissioned the joint chief inspectors' report. It is also why my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary, set up the statutory Inquiry, chaired by Lord Laming, into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the death of Victoria Climbie. The issues raised by Victoria's case are wide-ranging, in terms of both policy and practice. The recommendations of the joint chief inspectors' report and those of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry will provide us with an authoritative basis for any reforms to child protection that may need to be made and if radical reform is necessary, we will implement it. The Government will respond to both reports after they have carefully considered them.

Asylum Seekers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what arrangements he has made to ensure that local authorities monitor the number of asylum seekers who make a claim for social services assistance under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 on the basis of their need for care and attention, for reasons other than their destitution; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether arrangements have been made to offer local authorities additional financial support to deal with changes in the number of asylum seekers who make a claim for social services assistance under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 on the basis of their need for care and attention for reasons other than their destitution after January 2003, and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answers 10 December 2002
	Following implementation of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, it is not anticipated that from January 2003 local councils will incur additional costs in supporting asylum seekers who make a claim for social services assistance under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948. Individual councils may monitor the number of asylum seekers claiming assistance but there is no legal requirement for them to do so.

Benefits Uprating

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral statement of 18 November on benefit uprating, what will be the entitlement of a single person receiving contributory JSA in 2002–03 and 2003–04 to free prescriptions; and what estimate he has made of the number of recipients of contributory JSA who receive free prescriptions.

David Lammy: pursuant to his answer 25 November 2002, Official Report, c. 130W
	I regret my previous answer was incorrect. The final sentence should read as follows:
	XIn 2001–02, around 7,700 people (including partners) receiving contributory jobseekers allowance successfully claimed entitlement to free prescriptions through the NHS low income scheme."

Carers

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that benchmarking standards for NHS trusts promote support for carers; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 2 December 2002
	Support for carers is detailed within the Government's priorities for mental health services, as set out in the document XInvestment, Expansion and Reform the next 3 years, Priorities and Planning framework 2003–06". In addition, the national service framework for older people sets out a 10-year programme of action to ensure that older people and their carers are always treated with respect, dignity and fairness.
	National health service performance ratings, which publish nationally comparable performance indicators on a wide range of NHS services, are made available to NHS trusts to help compare standards among organisations. Performance indicators are being developed to support delivery of the priorities set out in XInvestment, Expansion and Reform the next 3 years, Priorities and Planning framework 2003–06".

Carers

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) carers and (b) young carers of school age there are in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside and (iii) Tyne and Wear; and what support is given to (A) carers and (B) young carers of school age.

Jacqui Smith: The information on numbers of carers is not held centrally.
	Carers are entitled to an assessment to determine their needs as carers and eligibility for support. The carers grant provides money for local councils to provide short breaks for carers to enable them to continue in their caring role.
	Additionally for young carers we are supporting the development of over 100 projects across the country to give carers of school age access to appropriate advice, information and support or leisure.

Child Abuse

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children (a) suffered child abuse and (b) were killed in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: Information on children who suffer abuse or were killed in each parliamentary constituency is not held centrally.
	Information detailing the number of children on the Child Protection Register over the last five years by local authority has been placed in the Library.
	Information detailing the number of children under 16-years-old, who are currently recorded as being victims of homicide, a category which covers murder, manslaughter and infanticide, over the last five years by police force areas of England and Wales, has been placed in the Library.

Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 8 August, reference PO1014287; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in replying.

David Lammy: holding answer 2 December 2002
	A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 9 December.

Correspondence

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department intends to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Manchester, Central of 24 September regarding Miss AL, reference PO1016982, and of 10 September regarding Mr. DS, reference PO1016009.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 5 December 2002
	Replies to my hon. Friend's correspondence concerning his constituents, Mrs. A Leslie and Mr. Steven, were sent on 25 November and 9 December respectively.

Deaf Children (Mental Health)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on mental health services for deaf children in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement on his Department's strategy for mental health services for deaf children.

Jacqui Smith: The mental health in-patient service for deaf children, adolescents and their families was dedicated as a national specialist service in April 1998 and has received departmental funding as follows:
	1998–99: #640,000
	1999–2000: #820,000
	2000–01: #1.4 million
	2001–02: #1.581 million
	Details are also available on expenditure on the designated out-patient service for children and adolescents, the deaf child and family services provided by the South West London and St. George's Mental Health National Health Service Trust. This is shown in the following table. Information on spending on other services for deaf children, in other localities, is not collected centrally.
	
		Deaf Child and Family Services—Out-patient South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust
		
			  Total 
		
		
			 1997–98  
			 Child 323,763 
			 Family 50,525 
			   
			 1998–99  
			 Child 375,406 
			 Family 38,732 
			   
			 1999–2000  
			 Child 452,341 
			 Family 24,696 
			   
			 2000–01  
			 Child 429,684 
			 Family 19,900

Deep Vein Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many NHS patients treated for (a) a hip replacement, (b) a knee replacement and (c) a hip fracture contracted a deep vein thrombosis in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many orthopaedic departments in the NHS have venous thromboembolism prevention protocols;
	(3)  how many (a) knee and (b) hip replacements were performed in the NHS in each of the last five years; and how many hip fractures were treated in the NHS in each of those years.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect information centrally on prevention protocols for venal thromboembolism. Information is collected on the number of hip replacements, hip fractures, hip and knee operations where deep vein thrombosis was recorded and cases where hip fractures and deep vein thrombosis were recorded in the same episode.
	The following tables show the information recorded on each of these in the last five years by national health service hospitals in England.
	
		Finished consultant episodes (FCEs) where a hip replacement operation was recorded in NHS hospitals, England
		
			  Number of hip replacements 
		
		
			 1996–97 64,505 
			 1997–98 62,257 
			 1998–99 68,726 
			 1999–2000 69,600 
			 2000–01 73,444 
		
	
	
		FCEs where hip fracture was the main diagnosis in NHS hospitals, England
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1996–97 62,194 
			 1997–98 63,824 
			 1998–99 64,967 
			 1999–2000 66,321 
			 2000–01 68,693 
		
	
	
		FCEs where Deep Vein Thrombosis was recorded in NHS hospitals, England
		
			  Knee replacement Hip replacement Hip fracture 
		
		
			 1996–97 280 316 355 
			 1997–98 275 304 397 
			 1998–99 317 350 384 
			 1999–2000 354 327 406 
			 2000–01 407 315 413 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The count is restricted to patients who were actually diagnosed with DVT within the same episode as if DVT developed after the patient had left the hospital, this will not show up in the record.
	2. ICD-10 (diagnosis) code 180.2—Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremities.
	3. The primary diagnosis is the first of several diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	4. A FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year.
	5. Data in these tables are grossed for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

Delayed Admissions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed admissions from ambulances to accident and emergency departments there were, in each ambulance trust in each of the past five years.

David Lammy: The information requested is not available centrally.

Delayed Discharges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from where within the NHS budget the extra #100 million for social services budgets for tackling delayed discharge will come.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 4 December 2002
	The funding will come from within the extra resources announced for the national health service as part of Spending Review 2002.

Delayed Discharges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will provide a breakdown on the other reasons for the national and regional summaries of delayed discharge as referred to in Annex A of the reasons and numbers of delayed discharges.

Jacqui Smith: All the available information on delayed discharges for June 2002 is available in the Library. There is no further breakdown of the Xother" category.

Diabetes

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what facilities there are in each hospital in the North Cheshire hospitals trust for the treatment of diabetes; how many dedicated beds there are; and (a) how many beds and (b) what outpatient facilities will be available in each hospital under the plan XA vision for future services" drawn up by the trust;
	(2)  how many admissions there were to each hospital in the North Cheshire hospitals trust for (a) respiratory problems and (b) diabetes in each of the past five years.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 5 December 2002
	The figures for hospital admissions are shown in the table.
	
		Admissions, primary diagnosis as specified
		
			  Warrington hospital Halton general hospital  
		
		
			 Diabetes   
			 1996–97 561 67 
			 1997–98 441 64 
			 1998–99 773 75 
			 1999–2000 781 62 
			 2000–01 700 62 
			
			 Respiratory   
			 1996–97 2,735 791 
			 1997–98 3,012 876 
			 1998–99 3,373 968 
			 1999–2000 2,985 1,005 
			 2000–01 3,216 851 
		
	
	Notes:
	ICD10 Codes Diabetes Problems E10-E14, P70, 024, E23, R73.
	ICD10 Codes Respiratory Problems J00-J99.
	Ungrossed data.
	The primary diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.
	Warrington hospital currently has 244 acute medical beds including five coronary care, seven medical day beds and 21 transitional care beds. There are no dedicated diabetes beds, since diabetes patients can be admitted to any general medical bed. There are 28 respiratory care beds, although patients can be admitted to any general medical bed for respiratory care.
	Halton hospital currently has 152 general medical beds. There are 28 respiratory and general medical beds on one ward, which take a mixture of respiratory and general medicine patients. Respiratory patients can be admitted to any of the general medical beds. There are no dedicated diabetes beds because diabetes patients can be admitted to any of the general medical beds.
	There are outpatient clinics for diabetes at Warrington hospital four times a week, plus a foot clinic with podiatry support on alternate weeks. All diabetes clinics have specialist nurse input. There is no dedicated space for diabetes in outpatients; shared facilities are in use in the main outpatients department. There is an assessment area with an office and assessment room that is shared with the rehabilitation team, which is used by the specialist nurses for patient interviews and education sessions.
	There are four diabetes clinics on the Halton site and an alternate weekly high-risk foot clinic with podiatry support. All diabetes clinics have specialist nurse input. There is no dedicated diabetes space in outpatients; shared facilities are in use in the main outpatients department.
	The specialist nurses share an office that is used for patient interviews and education sessions.
	There is no change in bed numbers for diabetes patients under the plan XA vision for future services". The plan does, however, identify the need for dedicated outpatient facilities on both sites, with improved facilities for patient consultation, education and interviews.

Doctors

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has for increasing the number of doctors employed by the national health service; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The NHS Plan makes a commitment to substantially increase the national health service work force by March 2004. The numbers of consultants are expected to increase by 7,500, specialist registrar numbers by 1,000, general practitioner (GP) numbers by 2,000 and GP registrar numbers by 550 over a 1999 baseline.
	The latest forecasts for growth, set out in XDelivering the NHS Plan", expect the NHS to have net increases by 2008, over a 2001 baseline, of at least 15,000 doctors, both consultants and GPs.
	Between September 1997 and September 2001, the number of total NHS doctors increased by 11 per cent. and specialist registrar (SpR) numbers specifically also increased by 11 per cent. Between September 1997 and March 2002, the number of consultants and GPs increased by 23 per cent. and 3 per cent. respectively and GP registrar numbers by 42 per cent.
	In respect of consultants, we are not solely relying on the output from training to deliver a sufficient supply of applicants for consultant posts. We are implementing a range of measures to:
	Improve retention—through a flexible careers scheme and flexible retirement;
	Identify and encourage suitable doctors on the specialist register to compete for posts;
	Target action to reduce delay to certificate of completion of specialists training completion and encourage recent qualifiers to take up consultant posts;
	Establish more part-time and job-share posts;
	Increase international recruitment, including government to government agreements, a global recruitment campaign and the international fellowship programme.
	With regard to SpR numbers, we have adopted a new approach to maximising the numbers of SpRs trained within existing resources. The current training system has been freed up by taking a service-led approach, which will meet educational needs. We expect this to result in substantial increases in SpR numbers beyond the 1,000 assumed in the NHS Plan.
	We have also introduced a GP vocational training scheme for senior house officers in 2002, which has resulted in 84 appointments.
	To meet the GP targets, the Department has implemented a number of recruitment and retention initiatives, which include:
	golden hellos to new and returning GPs
	delayed retirement payments
	flexible career scheme
	extension of the improving working lives initiative to primary care
	international recruitment.

Drug Addiction (Fareham)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug rehabilitation places are available to registered drug addicts in Fareham; and how many registered drug addicts in Fareham are receiving (a) rehabilitation and (b) other forms of drug treatment.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 9 December 2002
	Drug misuers have access to a community drug team in Fareham. Most community drug services can refer patients to rehabilitation services throughout the country: not just those in the local area. There are 138 residential treatment services in England. There are around 3,100 bedspaces within the drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation sector.
	The information available for drug users presenting to drug treatment agencies and general practitioners in health authorities in Hampshire in the six-month periods from October 2000 to March 2001 is shown in the table.
	
		Number of users who presented for treatment for drug misuse in health authorities in Hampshire and England April 1997 to March 2001
		
			  October 2000– March 2001 
		
		
			 England 33,234 
			 North and mid Hants 89 
			 Portsmouth and south-east Hants 281 
			 Southampton and south-west Hants 220 
			 Total for all three HAs 590 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health series of Statistical Bulletins, XStatistics from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases".

Drug Addicts

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered drug addicts there were in (a) Fareham, (b) Hampshire and (c) England in each year from 1997.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 9 December 2002
	Information is not available in the form requested. The information available for drug users presenting to drug treatment agencies and general practitioners in health authorities in Hampshire and England in the six months periods from April 1997 to March 2001 is shown in Table 1. Information on the numbers in treatment is only available for 2000–01 and is shown in Table 2.
	
		Table 1: Number of users who presented for treatment for drug misuse in health authorities (HAs)in Hampshire and England April 1997 to March 2001
		
			  England North and mid Hampshire Portsmouth and south-east Hants Southampton and south-west Hampshire Totals for these three HAs 
		
		
			 April–September 1997 21,996 61 138 255 454 
			 October 1997–March 1998 23,916 50 161 257 468 
			 April–September 1998 28,599 48 163 296 507 
			 October 1998–March 1999 28,499 60 196 118 374 
			 April–September 1999 30,545 55 307 145 507 
			 October 1999–March 2000 31,815 21 231 153 405 
			 April–September 2000 33,093 154 259 266 679 
			 October 2000–March 2001 33,234 89 281 220 590 
		
	
	Source:
	The Department of Health series of statistical bulletins XStatistics from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases"
	
		Table 2: Number of drug misusers in treatment in 2000–01
		
			 Area of treatment Number  
		
		
			 England 118,500  
			 North and mid Hampshire 329 1,863  
			 Portsmouth and south-east Hants 836 1,863  
			 Southampton and south-west Hampshire 698 1,863  
		
	
	Source:
	Statistics from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases on drug misusers in treatment in England, 2000–01

Drug/Alcohol Treatment Centres

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential drug and alcohol treatment centres are operated by the NHS; and how many are proposed to be closed.

Hazel Blears: There are over 700 drug and alcohol treatment services in England. Of these, 138 are residential treatment services. The majority of residential services are provided through the voluntary sector. Their primary role is to provide non-medical social care services. For this reason they are funded through social services community care.
	Since 1997 the number of overall treatment services has increased by a third. We have no information to suggest that any treatment services are being prepared for closure.

Ebixa

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the availability to NHS patients of the drug Ebixa for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; when the National Institute of Clinical Excellence will issue guidance on the use of Ebixa for the NHS in England and Wales; and what interim measures have been put in place to ensure that the drug Ebixa will be available to NHS patients pending the outcome of the NICE appraisal;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost per annum of providing the drug Ebixa to NHS patients suffering from late stage Alzheimer's disease in (a) Dorset and (b) England;
	(3)  what provisions his Department has put in place to ensure that NHS patients in Dorset who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and who would benefit from the drug Ebixa are able to receive that drug.

Jacqui Smith: The drug memantine (Ebixa) was launched in this country for the treatment of people with severe dementia in October 2002. In line with Circular HSC1999/176, national health service bodies should use existing arrangements to access the publicly available evidence about memantine (Ebixa) and to determine local policies for the use of this drug. No estimates have been made about the likely future cost of this drug for people with severe dementia. No decision has been made as to whether to ask the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to carry out an appraisal of memantine for the treatment of people with dementia.

General Practitioners (Age)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of applications for partners in GP practices was in (a) England, (b) York and (c) North Yorkshire on (i) 1 May 1997 and (ii) 1 September 2002.

John Hutton: We do not have specific detail of the level of applications for partners in general practitioner (GP) practices in the areas and at the times requested. However the Medical Practices Committee survey of GP recruitment in England and Wales 1997 estimated that there was an average of 8.4 applicants per general medical service partner vacancy in 1997.
	The latest Department report—Xthe General Practitioner Recruitment, Retention and Vacancy Survey 2002 for England and Wales", estimated that there was an average of 4.4 applicants per unrestricted principal or equivalent GP vacancy in the 12 months period ending 28 February 2002.
	We do not have estimates for the number of applicants on any regional basis.

General Social Care Council

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fee levels for social workers the general social care council will charge; what revenue will be generated from such fee levels; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Under the provisions of the Care Standards Act 2000, each social care council in the United Kingdom has the right to apply reasonable registration fees. The general social care council (GSCC) has consulted on a fee structure in England, and set a registration fee of #30 a year for qualified social workers. This was announced by the GSCC on 25 November 2002.
	England's estimated 70,000 social workers will be registered first, starting in April 2003, followed by other categories of social care workers. When complete the registration of social workers will generate in the region of #2.1 million. The GSCC are currently developing their Business Plans for the next three years, including financial assumptions.

Health Authority Boards

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each health authority (a) the number and (b) the proportion of board members from (i) ethnic minorities and (ii) the disabled.

David Lammy: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Strategic health authority White Ethnic minority Disabled 
		
		
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 7 0 0 
			 Bedford and Hertfordshire 6 0 3 
			 Birmingham and Black Country 5 1 0 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 6 1 0 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 7 0 0 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 6 1 0 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 7 1 0 
			 Dorset and Somerset 6 1 0 
			 Essex 7 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 6 0 0 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 7 0 0 
			 Kent and Medway 7 0 1 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 7 1 0 
			 London South West 5 1 0 
			 London South East 5 2 0 
			 London North West 5 2 0 
			 London North East 4 1 0 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 6 0 0 
			 North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire 7 0 1 
			 North Central London 5 2 0 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 7 0 0 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 7 0 0 
			 South West Peninsula 6 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 7 0 0 
			 Surrey and Sussex 6 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 5 0 0 
			 Trent 7 1 0 
			 West Yorkshire 6 1 0 
			 Total 172 16 (8.5%) 5 (2.7%)

Hospital Trolleys

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the definition is of a hospital trolley for statistical purposes.

David Lammy: There is no definition of a hospital trolley held centrally.

IT Projects

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which IT projects being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) the NHS Executive are (i) running over budget and (ii) have been subject to a significant respecification.

Hazel Blears: The Department currently has one project that is projected to exceed budget tolerance, the national drugs treatment monitoring system. There are no projects that have been subject to a significant respecification.
	The National Health Service Executive ceased to exist in 2000. Consequently the information requested is not available.

Mental Health

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of primary care organisations have a board member dedicated to promoting mental health services.

David Lammy: The Department does not require primary care trusts to have a board member with dedicated responsibility for promoting mental health services. No information is held centrally on any such responsibility placed by the boards themselves.

Mental Health

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time to receive (a) counselling, (b) cognitive therapy and (c) psychotherapy was in each health authority in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: Data about waiting times for psychological therapy services is not collected centrally at the present time. However, the mental health national service framework emphasises the importance of access to assessment for and ready access to effective psychological therapies.

Mental Health

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of primary care organisations' written training plans for staff on mental health issues.

Jacqui Smith: There is no requirement on primary care organisations to have written training plans for staff on mental health issues. However, the document XWorking Together—Learning Together" issued by the Department states that XBy July 2002, all NHS employer organisations, supported by workforce development confederations will have in place a clear organisational strategy and annual plan for education, training and development, which links explicitly with local modernisation priorities and the delivery of clinical governance".

Mental Health Services (Children)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department will publish its report on its study of children's mental health services.

Jacqui Smith: The only study currently being undertaken into children's mental health services is that by the child and adolescent mental health external working group for the children's national service framework (NSF). We will shortly be publishing a document, that will signpost the likely areas for inclusion in the NSF to assist with local planning. It is intended that the children's NSF will be published towards the end of next year.

Mental Health Services (Children)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it will cost to transfer all children who are mental health patients from other in-patient units to specialist child and adolescent mental health services' in-patient facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The information needed to estimate the cost is not available. We recognise the importance of treating children and adolescents in facilities appropriate to their age. The child and adolescent mental health module of the children's national service framework is addressing the development of standards for children's services, and the use of in-patient mental health care is being considered within the module.

Mental Health Services (Children)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of local joint strategies between local social services and child and adolescent mental health services have been approved by his Department.

Jacqui Smith: All local authorities and their health partners have agreed strategies for the development of child and adolescent mental health services. These strategies are regularly updated as part of the planning process but there is no requirement for them to be submitted to the Department.

Mr. Sorenson

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Mr. Eric Sorenson ceased to be project director of the Paddington Health Campus; how much compensation has been paid to Mr. Sorenson; when a new project director will be appointed; where the vacancy was advertised; and how many applicants there have been.

John Hutton: Eric Sorenson resigned as project director of the Paddington Health Campus on 4 October 2002. Mr. Sorensen's employment with St. Mary's Hospital National Health Service Trust, the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust and Imperial College terminated on 22 November 2002 in accordance with his standard contractual terms. As such, the terms of his employment are a matter for these employing organisations.
	The post for project director of the Paddington Health Campus was advertised in the Health Service Journal on 31 October 2002. The closing date for applications was 15 November 2002. St. Mary's Hospital NHS Trust's human resources department, on behalf of the Paddington Health Campus Project, which is made up of St. Mary's NHS Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust and Imperial College, has received 12 application forms. Five people were short-listed, one has dropped out and the two trust chief executives from St. Mary's and the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trusts are interviewing on 20 December 2002 with opportunities to meet the senior team on 12 and 16 December 2002.

NHS Resource Allocation

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his intention to consult on the proposed new formula for allocating NHS resources following the review by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The existing formula used to allocate national health service resources has been reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). ACRA's terms of reference are to advise my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on the distribution of resources across primary and secondary care. ACRA is an expert body whose membership is made up of individuals with a wide range of relevant experience and expertise from within and outside the NHS. We do not consult on ACRA's recommendations.

NHS Services (Legal Entitlement)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who used the NHS but were not entitled to use it in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: The national health service is first and foremost for the benefit of people who live in the United Kingdom. A person who is not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, but who requires NHS hospital treatment, is subject to the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended—in 1991 (SI No: 438), 1994 (SI No: 1535), 2000 (SI No: 602), 2000 (SI No: 909).
	These regulations place a duty on NHS trusts to establish the residential status of all patients. Where an NHS trust identifies a person who is not ordinarily resident in United Kingdom and is not otherwise exempt from charge then the regulations provide for the making and recovery of a charge by the trust for most types of hospital treatment.
	Detailed information on the numbers of NHS charged patients are not collected centrally.

NHS Services (Legal Entitlement)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision creates the legal entitlement for use of the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Sections 1–5 of the National Health Service Act 1977 give powers and place duties on my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, in respect of the continued promotion of a comprehensive health service and the provision of services to be provided free of charge unless an enactment provides for the recovery of charges.
	Section 121 of the National Health Service Act gives power to make regulations to enable charges to be made to those not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. The relevant regulations are National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 (as amended).

NHS Services (Legal Entitlement)

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of (a) the number of people using the NHS who are not entitled to do so and (b) the cost of the treatment of those people to the NHS in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: The national health service is first and foremost for the benefit of people who live in the United Kingdom. A person who is not ordinarily resident in the UK, but who requires NHS hospital treatment is subject to the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended—in 1991 (SI No: 438), 1994 (SI No: 1535), 2000 (SI No: 602), 2000 (SI No: 909).
	These regulations place a duty on NHS trusts to establish the residential status of all patients. Where an NHS trust identifies a person who is not ordinarily resident in the UK and is not otherwise exempt from charge then the regulations provide for the making and recovery of a charge by the trust for most types of hospital treatment.
	The amounts collected from NHS charged patients are not separately identifiable in trust accounts and are not collected centrally.

Nosocomial Infections

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the proportion of premature deaths in England in 2001 attributed to nosocomial infections.

Hazel Blears: There are no centrally held statistics on the contribution of nosocomial infections to mortality. The Department has recently published rates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia for every acute national health service hospital trust in England as the first phase of a mandatory surveillance scheme for health care associated infection. Results for the first year of this scheme (April 2001 to March 2002) were published in the Communicable Disease Report Weekly on 20 June 2002 and are available on the Public Health Laboratory Service website www.phls.co.uk/publications/cdr/PDFfiles/2002/cdr2502.pdf.

Paramedics

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what length of time is recommended for the training of paramedics.

John Hutton: Paramedics are a regulated profession. They are autonomous practitioners providing specialist care and treatment to patients who are either acutely ill or injured. They are able to administer an approved range of drugs as well as carrying out certain invasive techniques.
	The Health Professions Council (HPC) recommendation for paramedics training, leading to registration, is two years.

Personal Medical Services Contracts

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs in the Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust work to personal medical services contracts.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 10 December 2002
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		GMS and PMS practitioners in Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT and England as at 31 March 2002 -- Number (headcount)
		
			  Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT England 
		
		
			 All Practitioners(17)   
			 Total 137 32,011 
			 GMS 129 26,278 
			 PMS 8 5,733 
			
			 Of which:   
			 NHS Plan GPs(18)   
			 Total 127 28,950 
			 GMS 120 23,759 
			 PMS 7 5,191 
			
			 Unrestricted Principals and Equivalents (UPEs)(19)   
			 Total 123 27,956 
			 GMS 116 23,091 
			 PMS 7 4,865 
		
	
	(17) All Practitioners include UPEs, Restricted Principals, GP Registrars, Assistants, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS Others and GP Retainers.
	(18) NHS Plan GPs include UPEs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA) and PMS Others.
	(19) UPEs include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs.
	Note:
	March 2002 data has been converted to match April 2002 PCT boundaries.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) new cases and (b) new cases per head of population there were of (i) HIV/AIDS, (ii) syphilis, (iii) gonorrhea, (iv) chlamydia and (v) other forms of sexually transmitted disease in each (A) health authority and (B) PCT area in each year since 1996.

Hazel Blears: Information has been placed in the Library which gives the number of new cases (diagnoses) and new cases per 100,000 population for each of the infections, by region, for the years 1996–2001. Data are not available at the health authority/primary care trust level.
	Diagnoses of HIV were derived from voluntary clinician and laboratory reporting and the sexually transmitted infection (STI) data were derived from statutory reporting of diagnoses made at genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics on form KC60. Data on STIs are only collected from GUM clinics, so STIs diagnosed and treated by general practitioners or in other settings do not form part of the data set.

Silicofluoride Chemicals

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason silicofluoride chemicals classified as medicinal substances under the Codified Pharmaceutical Directive are, exempt from such classification by the Medicines Control Agency when used as an additive to public water supplies.

David Lammy: The inclusion of silicofluoride chemicals in a product does not necessarily make that product a medicinal product. Silicofluoride has many different uses and can therefore be subject to a number of different regulatory regimes. For example, various forms of fluoride can be included in oral hygiene products under the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations and some forms of fluoride will be permitted in food supplements through the forthcoming Food Supplements (England) Regulations. The decision as to whether a particular product is a medicinal product is made by the Medicines Control Agency using the definition of that term in Article 1 of Directive 2001/83, relevant legal precedent and its own published guidance. The MCA considers that neither fluoride added to drinking water nor the resulting fluoridated water are medicinal products which require marketing authorisations as medicines.

Suspended Consultants (Leeds)

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants employed by the Leeds health authority and its trusts are suspended; and for how long they each have been suspended.

Jacqui Smith: Neither the former Leeds health authority nor the West Yorkshire strategic health authority employ consultants. However there is only one consultant from all the national health service trusts within the West Yorkshire strategic health authority area who is currently suspended. That individual has been suspended since May 2001.
	Source:
	West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority

Transport

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his policy that NHS acute trusts should take over responsibilities for local transportation from ambulance services.

David Lammy: No.

Wheelchair Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will define, in reference to the wheelchair services collaborative programme, the phrase 'all teach, all learn' in his Department's press release of 27 November XNHS and wheelchair users unite in initiative to improve services".

Jacqui Smith: Across the national health service 45 services are taking part in the wheelchair service collaborative programme to improve the service that they already provide. The collaborative will operate for approximately 18 months and it is hoped that the services will share their learning and experience in order to make specific improvements.
	Every service will have its part to play specifically in sharing good practice in particularly what works well for them and what could be adopted by other services to improve their own. Similarly there will be ideas that they in turn will adopt—hence the reference to everybody teaching and everybody learning.